Fused loop of filamentous material and apparatus for making same
AssigneeTornier SAS
InventorsThomas D. Egan, Paul V. Fenton, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fused loop of an elongated material, such as a surgical suture, and apparatus for making the loop. Portions of one or more segments to be joined together are fused in a welding process to form a welded joint. The shear area of the fused portion of the joint determines the strength of the joint and is thus preferably relatively large. Various configurations for the welding apparatus facilitate the creation of relatively large fused portions of the joint by maximizing contact between at least one of the welding members of the apparatus and at least one of the segments to be joined.
Claims21
A fused loop of an elongated material, comprising:
- one or more segments of the elongated material extending along a principal axis, portions of the segments being directed and joined together to form a loop at a joint region extending between first and second ends and including:
- i. a first portion of elongated material extending from the first end,
- ii. a second portion of elongated material extending from the second end, and
- iii. a fused portion between the first and second portions, the fused portion comprising a relatively thin layer of fused material from the first and second portions,
- wherein the elongated material in the first and second portions of the joint region is characterized by a high degree of molecular orientation in a direction of a principal axis of the elongated material and high strength in the direction of the principal axis relative to a degree of molecular orientation and strength in other than the direction of the principal axis, and the fused material in the fused portion of the joint region is characterized by a low degree of molecular orientation in the direction of the principal axis of the elongated material relative to the degree of molecular orientation in the direction of the principal axis in the first and second portions adjacent thereto, and the first and second portions at the first and second ends of the joint region outside of the fused portion have cross-sectional areas which are greater than cross-sectional areas of the first and second portions of the joint region which abut the fused portion, and
- wherein the first portion, the second portion, and the fused portion each bear a pattern transverse to the principal axis of the elongated material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.