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AssigneeThe Johns Hopkins University
InventorsFabiana Kimie Kashiwabuchi, Justin Hanes, Hai-Quan Mao, Peter John McDonnell, Qingguo Xu, Shuming Zhang
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Ophthalmic suture materials made from biocompatible and biodegradable polymers with high tensile strength for use in drug delivery, methods of making them, and method of using them for ocular surgery and repair have been developed. The suture materials are made from a combination of a biodegradable, biocompatible polymer and a hydrophilic biocompatible polymer. In a preferred embodiment the suture materials are made from a poly(hydroxyl acid) such as poly(l-lactic acid) and a polyalkylene oxide such as poly(ethylene glycol) or a polyalkylene oxide block copolymer. The sutures entrap (e.g., encapsulate) one or more therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic agents and provide prolonged release over a period of at least a week, preferably a month.
An ophthalmic suture comprising one or more fibers between about 20 microns and about 60 microns in diameter and having a tensile strength between about 1 GPa and about 2.5 GPa, the fibers comprising
A method of sealing or closing a surgical incision or wound in the eye, the method comprising closing the incision or wound with an ophthalmic suture comprising one or more fibers between about 20 microns and about 60 microns in diameter and having a tensile strength between about 1 GPa and about 2.5 GPa, the fibers comprising
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.