Bioactive substance in a barbed suture

#Barbed sutures, which are generally made of the same materials as conventional sutures, offer several advantages for closing wounds compared with conventional sutures. A barbed suture includes an elongated body that has one or more spaced barbs, which project from the surface of the suture body along the body length. The barbs are arranged to allow passage of the barbed suture in one direction through tissue but resist movement of the barbed suture in the opposite direction. Thus, one advantage of barbed sutures has been the provision of a non-slip attribute.

#Barbed sutures are known for use in cosmetic, laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures. Using barbed sutures enables the placement of tension in tissue with less slippage of the suture in the wound. The number of suture barbs may be influenced by the size of the wound and the strength required to hold the wound closed. Like a conventional suture, a barbed suture may be inserted into tissue using a surgical needle.

#Bioactive agents such as antimicrobial agents have been associated with surgical devices such as to prevent microbial infections during the wound healing process. It is also known to coat surgical sutures with antimicrobial compounds to prevent and treat microbial infections.

#Various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described herein below with reference to the figures wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a barbed suture in accordance with the present disclosure attached to a needle; and

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bi-directional barbed suture attached to a needle on each end;

#Described herein are barbed surgical sutures. Sutures in accordance with the present disclosure may be of monofilament or multifilament construction. The suture may have both a proximal and distal end, with barbs projecting from the elongated body towards at least one end thereby forming an included angle of less than about 90 degrees between the barbs and the suture body. In embodiments, a bioactive agent may be deposited within the barb angles, that is, the angle formed between the barb and suture surface. Placement of a bioactive agent in the angle formed between the barbs and suture surface places the bioactive agent at precisely defined locations within a tissue wound closure, which thereby provides a unique controlled and sustained release dosage form.

#Barbed sutures in accordance with the present disclosure may be formed of degradable materials, non-degradable materials, and combinations thereof. Suitable degradable materials which may be utilized to form the medical device include natural collagenous materials or synthetic resins including those derived from alkylene carbonates such as trimethylene carbonate, tetramethylene carbonate, and the like, caprolactone, valerolactone, dioxanone, polyanhydrides, polyesters, polyacrylates, polymethylmethacrylates, polyurethanes, glycolic acid, lactic acid, glycolide, lactide, polyhydroxy butyrates (PHB), polyorthoester, polyhydroxy alkanoates, homopolymers thereof, copolymers thereof, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, glycolide and lactide based polyesters, especially copolymers of glycolide and lactide may be utilized to form a suture of the present disclosure.

#Suitable non-degradable materials which may be utilized to form the sutures of the present disclosure include polyolefins, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, copolymers of polyethylene and polypropylene, and blends of polyethylene and polypropylene; ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, polyamides (also known as nylon); polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate; polytetrafluoroethylene; polyether-esters such as polybutester; polytetramethylene ether glycol; 1,4-butanediol; polyurethanes; and combinations thereof. In other embodiments, non-degradable materials may include silk, cat gut, cotton, linen, carbon fibers, and the like. In some useful embodiments, polypropylene can be utilized to form the suture. The polypropylene can be isotactic polypropylene or a mixture of isotactic and syndiotactic or atactic polypropylene.