US 8,074,591 B2 · Embroidery using soluble thread

Abstract

A manufacturing process and resultant medical devices and components thereof wherein one or more individual laces (12) is placed within an embroidered structure (10) using an automated process allowing for the manufacture of embroidered surgical implants containing laces to be mass produced repeatably and cost effectively.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing an embroidered structure having at least one embedded lace element, comprising:

providing a substrate having a stitching surface and a backing surface, a plurality of stitching threads, and a plurality of backing threads secured to said backing surface and corresponding to said plurality of stitching threads, at least one of said stitching threads and backing threads comprising a lace thread and at least one of said stitching threads and said backing threads comprising a soluble thread corresponding to said lace thread;
stitching together said stitching threads and said corresponding backing threads through said substrate to form a plurality of thread pairs including lock stitches forming a two-dimensional embroidered structure;
stitching together said lace thread and said corresponding soluble thread through said substrate to form at least one temporary thread pair forming a part of said embroidered structure;
and
dissolving said soluble thread such that said lace thread becomes unpaired yet embedded and free to move within said embroidered structure.

2 more elements

A method of aligning a series of objects, comprising:

providing a series of embroidered structures, each having plurality of apertures and at least one embedded lace thread extending continuously therethrough, said series of embroidered structures manufactured by a process comprising:
providing a soluble substrate having a stitching surface and a backing surface, a plurality of stitching threads, and a plurality of backing threads secured to said backing surface and corresponding to said plurality of stitching threads, at least one of said stitching threads and backing threads comprising at least one lace thread and at least one of said stitching threads and said backing threads comprising at least one soluble thread corresponding to said lace thread;
stitching together groups of said stitching threads and said corresponding backing threads through said soluble substrate to form groups of a plurality of thread pairs including lock stitches forming a series of two-dimensional embroidered structures;
stitching together said at least one lace thread and said corresponding at least one soluble thread through said soluble substrate to form at least one temporary thread pair forming a part of said each of said embroidered structures forming said series;
and
dissolving said soluble substrate and said soluble thread such that said at least one lace thread becomes unpaired yet embedded and free to move within and extending continuously through each of said embroidered structures forming said series;
fastening said series of embroidered structures to a series of misaligned objects by inserting a fastener through said apertures and into said objects;
and
tensioning said at least one lace thread to cause the lace thread to straighten and bring the objects fastened to the embroidered structures into alignment.

6 more elements

A three-dimensional embroidered structure, comprising:

a plurality of contiguous embroidered polygonal panels, including a base panel having a plurality of sides, each side comprising one side of a secondary panel, each secondary panel including at least one lace thread having two ends embedded therein, said at least one lace thread continuously embedded and free to move through each secondary panel, said plurality of embroidered polygonal panels manufactured by a process comprising:
providing a substrate having a stitching surface and a backing surface, a plurality of stitching threads, and a plurality of backing threads secured to said backing surface and corresponding to said plurality of stitching threads, at least one of said stitching threads and backing threads comprising at least one lace thread and at least one of said stitching threads and said backing threads comprising at least one soluble thread corresponding to said lace thread;
stitching together groups of said stitching threads and said corresponding backing threads through said substrate to form groups of a plurality of thread pairs including lock stitches forming a plurality of contiguous two-dimensional embroidered panels;
stitching together said at least one lace thread and said corresponding at least one soluble thread through said substrate to form at least one temporary thread pair forming a part of each of said secondary panels;
and
dissolving said soluble thread such that said at least one lace thread becomes unpaired yet embedded and free to move within and extending continuously through each of said secondary panels;
tensioning said at least one lace thread to cause said secondary panels to maneuver into a three-dimensional orientation such that each of said secondary panels comes into contact with at least one other secondary panel;
and
tying the ends of said at least one lace thread together such that said three-dimensional orientation is secured.

6 more elements

A method of guiding at least one thread element around a series of obstacles, comprising:

providing a series of embroidered structures, each having plurality of apertures and at least one embedded lace thread extending continuously therethrough, said series of embroidered structures manufactured by a process comprising:
providing a substrate having a stitching surface and a backing surface, a plurality of stitching threads, and a plurality of backing threads secured to said backing surface and corresponding to said plurality of stitching threads, at least one of said stitching threads and backing threads comprising at least one lace thread and at least one of said stitching threads and said backing threads comprising at least one soluble thread corresponding to said lace thread;
stitching together groups of said stitching threads and said corresponding backing threads through said substrate to form groups of a plurality of thread pairs including lock stitches forming a series of two-dimensional embroidered structures;
stitching together said at least one lace thread and said corresponding at least one soluble thread through said substrate to form at least one temporary thread pair forming a part of said each of said embroidered structures forming said series;
and
dissolving said soluble thread such that said at least one lace thread becomes unpaired yet embedded and free to move within and extending continuously through each of said embroidered structures forming said series;
and
fastening said series of embroidered structures to a series of obstacles by inserting a fastener through said apertures and into said obstacle, thereby allowing said lace thread to be anchored and guided around said obstacles in a predictable path.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description8,010 words

Summary1,493 words

#I. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to medical devices and methods generally aimed at surgical implants. In particular, the disclosed system and associated methods are related to a manner of creating surgical implants via embroidery.

#II. Discussion of the Prior Art

Brief description of the drawings25 figures

#Many advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art with a reading of this specification in conjunction with the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals are applied to like elements and wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a flow chart depicting one example of a general process of placing laces in embroidered structures using one or more soluble threads, according to one embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view one example of an embroidered structure having a plurality of thread pairs, including a temporary thread pair, formed according to the process of FIG. 1;

Detailed description5,630 words

#Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. The process of embroidery with soluble thread disclosed herein boasts a variety of inventive features and components that warrant patent protection, both individually and in combination.

#FIG. 1 outlines the one example of the process of manufacturing an embroidered structure using soluble thread according to one embodiment of the present invention. The process begins with a substrate, upon which a plurality of backing threads are placed and secured on one side, called the backing surface. A soluble thread may be substituted for any backing thread within the plurality of backing threads. For each backing thread on the backing surface of the substrate, there is a corresponding stitching thread on the opposing side of the substrate, called the stitching surface. A soluble thread may be substituted for any stitching thread within the plurality of stitching threads. Any soluble thread, used on either the backing surface or the stitching surface, will correspond to a lace on the opposing surface. Laces may be physically identical to the stitching threads or backing threads or may be composed of different materials or possess different physical properties than the stitching threads or backing threads.

#Stitching may be done between one pair of threads at a time or in simultaneous multiplicity, as is described below. The plurality of stitching threads, lace threads, and/or soluble threads on the stitching surface are passed from the stitching surface to the backing surface, making openings in the substrate for each individual thread, to meet with corresponding backing threads, soluble threads, and/or laces on the backing surface. Each stitching thread, lace, and/or soluble thread from the stitching surface is then looped over its corresponding backing thread, soluble thread, and/or laces on the backing surface. In essence, this looping over engages or “picks up” each thread from the backing surface, creating a “lock stitch.” Once each thread from the stitching surface has picked up its corresponding thread from the backing surface, the plurality of threads originating from the stitching surface are returned from the backing surface to the stitching surface through the same openings made upon initial passage through the substrate from the stitching surface. The lock stitch prevents the threads from completely pulling out of the openings made when returning to the stitching surface through the substrate.

Facts

Application

12/442,944Filed 25 Sep 2007 · us provisional application

Priority

25 Sep 2006

Published

US 2010/0089297 A115 Apr 2010

Granted

13 Dec 2011

Term ends

2 Oct 2028

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 373 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification4 codes

D05C 7/00
Special-purpose or automatic embroidering machines
D05D 2209/00
Use of special materials
D05C
Embroidering
D05D
Indexing scheme associated with subclasses d05b and d05c, relating to sewing, embroidering

Timeline

25 Sep 2006Priority claimedParent application 60/847,022
25 Sep 2007Application filedUS 12/442,944
25 Mar 2009Assigned to Nuvasive, Inc.assignment of assignor's interest
15 Apr 2010PublishedUS 2010/0089297 A1
13 Dec 2011GrantedUS 8,074,591 B2
16 Nov 2016Assigned to Bank of America, N.A., AS Administrative Agentnotice of grant of security interest in patents
17 May 2017Assigned to Bank of America, N.A., AS Administrative Agentnotice of grant of security interest in patents
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
2 Oct 2028Term endsEstimated, includes 373 days of adjustment

Embroidery using soluble thread

Life of this patent

Embroidery using soluble thread

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims22

Description8,010 words

Drawings

Classification4 codes

Life of this patent

Description8,010 words