Process and apparatus for coating surgical sutures

Details Process and apparatus for coating surgical sutures Process and apparatus for coating surgical sutures

1998-05-05

2001-02-13

Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)

Coating apparatus

Solid member or material acting on coating after application

Rotary member

C118S420000, C118S423000, C118SDIG001

Reexamination Certificate

active

06187095

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a process for coating surgical ligatures such as sutures and an apparatus for coating surgical ligatures.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Sutures are generally coated with a lubricious coating to improve the tie down and knot adjustability of the suture. Additionally, these coatings may also reduce the drag associated with passing the suture through the tissue thereby reducing the tissue trauma.
The coatings that are applied to sutures generally contain a biocompatable polymer and optionally other additives such as, fatty acid salts or esters may be added into the coating to further improve the lubricity of the coated sutures. These coatings are usually dissolved or suspended in a volatile organic liquid and applied in the form of a liquid coating to the sutures. Conventionally these liquid coatings have been applied by dip coating, bushing, wiping, drip coating, spray coating or by using a coating/filling head. Sutures can be dip coated in a batch process by winding a suture on a frame and immersing the frame into a coating solution or in a continuous process in which the suture is passed under tension into a dip tank then through a drying tunnel (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,543). In a continuous dip coating process sutures are generally coated at a rate of about 45-60 feet per minute. Another means of coating sutures is to drip coat a suture using a syringe pump to apply the coating to a moving suture. Sutures can be drip coated at about 44 meters per minute, (described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,702 column 7, lines 1-20). Coating/filling heads have also been used to coat sutures, such as the filling heads described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,100. The speed at which sutures are coated using these filling heads is about 50 meters per minute (see column 14, line 58 of U.S. Pat. 5,447,100).
Although the coating process that have been conventionally used provide acceptable coatings for sutures, the production speeds at which the coatings are applied are very low. Therefore, it would be a significant contribution to the art of suture production to provide a faster means for coating sutures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
We have discovered a suture coating apparatus comprising a vessel suitable for containing a coating mixture having an opening suitable for passing a suture through; a first guide means for directing a suture into the coating mixture contained in the vessel; a second guide means positioned in said vessel suitable for redirecting the suture out of the coating mixture; a third guide means suitable for redirecting a suture through at least about a 90 degree turn; wherein the suture travels at a speed sufficient to remove any excess coating entrained by the suture when it is redirected by the third guide means.
We have discovered a suture coating apparatus comprising a vessel suitable for containing a coating mixture having an opening suitable for passing a suture through; a first guide means for directing a suture into the coating mixture contained in the vessel; a second guide means positioned in said vessel suitable for redirecting the suture out of the coating mixture; a third guide means having a surface which is adjacent to or contacts the suture and forms a meniscus that remove any excess coating entrained by the suture when it is redirected by the third guide means.
We have also discovered a continuous process for coating sutures comprising in a continuous process contacting a suture with a coating mixture (which for the purpose of this invention includes solutions, dispersion, emulsions, suspensions and the like) to provide a wet coated suture; removing the wet coated suture from the coating mixture and completely or partially preventing the excess coating mixture on the wet coated suture from contacting the coating mixture thereby maintaining the coating mixture at a substantially constant concentration; and drying the wet coated suture to provide a coated suture.
In another embodiment of the present invention we have discovered a suture coating head comprising a vessel suitable for containing a coating mixture having an opening suitable for passing a suture through; a first guide means for directing a suture from a substantially vertical downward path to a substantially vertical upward path, said first guide means being positioned in said vessel; and a fluid impermeable diverter being positioned to control fluid communications from a suture as the suture exits the vessel.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2022854 (1935-12-01), Greenwood
patent: 2262793 (1941-11-01), Bruenger
patent: 3045315 (1962-07-01), Dusenbury
patent: 3857261 (1974-12-01), Wilcox
patent: 3942532 (1976-03-01), Hunter et al.
patent: 3980177 (1976-09-01), McGregor
patent: 3982543 (1976-09-01), Schmitt et al.
patent: 4047533 (1977-09-01), Perciaccante et al.
patent: 4105034 (1978-08-01), Shalaby et al.
patent: 4201216 (1980-05-01), Mattel
patent: 4241690 (1980-12-01), Muller
patent: 4626306 (1986-12-01), Chabrier et al.
patent: 4711241 (1987-12-01), Lehman
patent: 4716203 (1987-12-01), Casey et al.
patent: 4857602 (1989-08-01), Casey et al.
patent: 4994074 (1991-02-01), Bezwada et al.
patent: 5037950 (1991-08-01), Bezwada et al.
patent: 5089013 (1992-02-01), Bezwada et al.
patent: 5100433 (1992-03-01), Bezwada et al.
patent: 5102420 (1992-04-01), Hunter et al.
patent: 5104398 (1992-04-01), Planck et al.
patent: 5123912 (1992-06-01), Kaplan et al.
patent: 5147382 (1992-09-01), Gertzman et al.
patent: 5366081 (1994-11-01), Kaplan et al.
patent: 5371176 (1994-12-01), Bezwada et al.
patent: 5403347 (1995-04-01), Roby et al.
patent: 5431679 (1995-07-01), Bennett et al.
patent: 5442032 (1995-08-01), Arnold et al.
patent: 5447100 (1995-09-01), Chesterfield et al.
patent: 5462162 (1995-10-01), Kaplan et al.
patent: 5468252 (1995-11-01), Kaplan et al.
patent: 5472702 (1995-12-01), Muth et al.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Process and apparatus for coating surgical sutures does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Process and apparatus for coating surgical sutures, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Process and apparatus for coating surgical sutures will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2602270