US4700704A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Surgical articles of copolymers of glycolide and ε-caprolactone and methods of producing the same
Assignee: Ethicon Inc
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Filing: 1985-08-12
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Granted: 1987-10-20
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Expires: 2005-08-12
Abstract
Abstract Novel copolymers of epsilon -caprolactone and glycolide useful in making surgical articles and particularly surgical sutures having Young's modulus of less than 350,000 psi. New and improved polymerization methods for producing the novel epsilon -caprolactone and glycolide copolymers.
Inventors
- 👤 Dennis D. Jamiolkowski
- 👤 Shalaby W. Shalaby
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 16:23
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61L; A61L17/00; A61L17/06; A61L17/10; A61L17/12; C; C08; C08G; C08G63/00; C08G63/02; C08G63/06; C08G63/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
62 words
A sterile surgical suture made from a polymeric material having a melting point of 213° C. or less, said polymeric material comprising from about 20 to 35 weight percent epsilon (ε)-caprolactone and from about 65 to 80 weight percent glycolide based sequences, said suture having a tensile strength of at least 30,000 psi and a Young's modulus of less than 350,000 psi.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
62 words
A sterile surgical suture made from a polymeric material having a melting point of 213° C. or less, said polymeric material comprising from about 20 to 35 weight percent epsilon (ε)-caprolactone and from about 65 to 80 weight percent glycolide based sequences, said suture having a tensile strength of at least 30,000 psi and a Young's modulus of less than 350,000 psi.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A sterile surgical suture according to claim 1 comprising from about 25 to 35 weight percent ε-caprolactone and 65 to 75 weight percent glycolide based sequences.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A sterile surgical suture according to claim 1 wherein the polymeric material has an inherent viscosity of at least 0.8 dl/g measured at 25° C. in a 0.1 g/dl solution in hexafluorisopropyl alcohol.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
A sterile surgical article according to claim 1 wherein the article comprises an oriented monofilament.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
A sterile surgical article according to claim 4 wherein the monofilament is annealed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A sterile surgical article according to claim 1 wherein the sterile suture has a Young's modulus of less than 250,000 psi.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
A sterile suture according to claim 5 having a needle attached to at least one end of said suture.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A sterile suture according to claim 6 having a tensile strength of at least 50,000 psi.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
A sterile suture according to claim 6 or 7 comprising from about 20 to 30 weight percent ε-caprolactone and from about 70 to 80 weight percent glycolide.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
A sterile suture according to claim 9 wherein the suture is a monofilament.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
A sterile suture according to claim 10 wherein the monofilament has been annealed.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
A sterile suture according to claim 6 or 7 wherein the polymeric material has an inherent viscosity of at least 0.8 dl/g measured at 25° C. in a 0.1 g/dl solution in hexafluoroisoproyl alcohol.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
A sterile suture according to claim 12 wherein the polymeric material has a crystallinity of at least 20 percent.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
A sterile surgical suture according to claim 6 or 7 wherein the polymeric material has a Young's modulus of from about 75,000 psi to about 150,000 psi.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-10-19 | 1991-04-20 | 1991-10-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-10-19 | 1995-04-20 | 1995-10-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-10-19 | 1999-04-20 | 1999-10-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |