EP0107591A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Absorbable surgical devices
Assignee: United States Surgical Corp
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Filing: 1983-10-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-10-20
Abstract
Abstract Absorbable, substantially amorphous surgical fasteners having good in vivo strength-retaining and absorption characteristics may be made of copolymers of lactide and glycolide made from 70-85%m lactide and 15-30%m glycolide provided the inherent viscosity and glass transition temperature of the copolymers have at least certain minimum values.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald S. Kaplan
- 👤 Ross R. Muth
- 👤 John J. Kennedy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 11:58
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08G; C08G63/00; C08G63/02; C08G63/06; C08G63/08; A; A61; A61L; A61L31/00; A61L31/04; A61L31/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
54 words
A substantially amorphous surgical fastener comprising a copolymer made from 70-85%m lactide and 15-30%m glycolide, said fastener having a glass transition temperature of at least 54°C when measured by differential scanning calorimetry at 20°C/min and an inherent viscosity of at least 0.9 when measured in chloroform at 30°C at a concentration of 0.25 g/dl.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
54 words
A substantially amorphous surgical fastener comprising a copolymer made from 70-85%m lactide and 15-30%m glycolide, said fastener having a glass transition temperature of at least 54°C when measured by differential scanning calorimetry at 20°C/min and an inherent viscosity of at least 0.9 when measured in chloroform at 30°C at a concentration of 0.25 g/dl.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
7 words
A surgical clip according to claim 1.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
7 words
A surgical staple according to claim 1.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The surgical fastener of claim 1 wherein the copolymer is made from 75-80%m lactide and 20-25%m glycolide and has a glass transition temperature of at least 56°C.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
7 words
A surgical clip according to claim 4.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
7 words
A surgical staple according to claim 4.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The surgical fastener of claim 4 wherein the copolymer contains no more than 20% crystallinity.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
7 words
A surgical clip according to claim 7.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
7 words
A surgical staple according to claim 7.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
93 words
A method for making a substantially amorphous surgical fastener of a copolymer made from 70-85%m lactide and 15-30%m glycolide, said method comprising the steps: (a) copolymerizing lactide and glycolide; (b) purifying the resulting crude product by removing unreacted monomers sufficiently to raise the glass transition temperature to at least 56°C when measured by differential scanning calorimetry at 20°C/min and maintaining the inherent viscosity at at least 1.3 when measured in chloroform at 30°C at a concentration of 0.25 g/dl; (c) drying the copolymer; and (d) forming the fastener from the purified dry copolymer.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
93 words
A method for making a substantially amorphous surgical fastener of a copolymer made from 70-85%m lactide and 15-30%m glycolide, said method comprising the steps: (a) copolymerizing lactide and glycolide; (b) purifying the resulting crude product by removing unreacted monomers sufficiently to raise the glass transition temperature to at least 56°C when measured by differential scanning calorimetry at 20°C/min and maintaining the inherent viscosity at at least 1.3 when measured in chloroform at 30°C at a concentration of 0.25 g/dl; (c) drying the copolymer; and (d) forming the fastener from the purified dry copolymer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
ll. The method of claim 10 wherein the fastener is a surgical clip.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the fastener is a surgical staple.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 10 wherein step (b) comprises extracting the unreacted monomers with a solvent.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 10 wherein step (b) comprises extracting the unreacted monomers with ethyl ether and removing residual solvent from the relatively monomer-free copolymer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the fastener is a surgical clip.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the fastener is a surgical staple.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 10 wherein step (d) is carried out in the presence of dry inert gas.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the fastener is a surgical clip.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the fastener is a surgical staple.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 10 wherein step (d) is carried out by injection molding.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 20 wherein the fastener is a surgical clip.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 20 wherein the fastener is a surgical staple.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
63 words
A copolymer made from 70-85%m lactide and 15-30%m glycolide that is useful for making surgical fasteners, said copolymer being dry and having a glass transition temperature of at least 56°C when measured by differential scanning calorimetry at 20°C/min, an inherent viscosity of at least 1.3 when measured in chloroform at 30°C at a concentration of 0.25 g/dl, and no more than 20% crystallinity.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
63 words
A copolymer made from 70-85%m lactide and 15-30%m glycolide that is useful for making surgical fasteners, said copolymer being dry and having a glass transition temperature of at least 56°C when measured by differential scanning calorimetry at 20°C/min, an inherent viscosity of at least 1.3 when measured in chloroform at 30°C at a concentration of 0.25 g/dl, and no more than 20% crystallinity.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
12 words
The copolymer of claim 20 made from 75-80%m lactide and 20-25%m glycolide.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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