Synthetic surgical sutures

Claim 1

The product of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the hydrogen ions of said ether are replaced by said cations.

Claim 10

The method of making a surgical suture which comprises in succession the steps of: diffusing at least one cation of an aqueous solution selected from the class consisting of aluminum, chromic, ferric, ferrous, silver, stannous and zinc ions, through a semi-permeable membrane into an aqueous solution of the sodium salt of at least one cellulose acid ether selected from the class consisting of cellulose glycolic acid ether, cellulose hydroxypropionic acid ether, hydroxyethyl cellulose glycolic acid ether and mixtures of the same said ethers having lower alkoxy groups substituted for less than 50 per cent of the hydroxyl radicals contained on the glucose subunits of said cellulose; said acid ether being characterized by a degree of substitution between 0.4 and 1.4 and a degree of polymerization such that the viscosity of a 2 weight per cent aqueous solution at 25*C. is more than about 18 centipoises and of a 1 weight per cent aqueous solution at 25*C. is less than about 4,500 centipoises; forming a thin film of the complex of the said cation and the said cellulose acid ether on said membrane, the molecules of said complex being oriented by the action of the diffusion- and membrane-potentials on the polar groups of the said ether, such potentials arising through the unequal diffusion rate of ions through said membrane; washing said thin film and forming it into a strand of from 1 to 16 mils in diameter and stretching and drying said strand under tension; sterilizing said strand and packaging it so that its sterility is maintained.

Claim 12

The method of making a surgical suture which comprises extruding a viscous solution of the sodium salt of at least one cellulose acid ether selected from the class consisting of cellulose glycolic acid ether, cellulose hydroxypropionic acid ether, hydroxyethyl cellulose glycolic acid ether and mixtures of the same said ethers having lower alkoxy groups substituted for less than 50 per cent of the hydroxyl radicals contained on the glucose subunits of said cellulose; said acid ether being characterized by a degree of substitution between 0.4 and 1.4 and a degree of polymerization such that the viscosity of a 2 weight per cent aqueous solution of it at 25*C. is more than about 18 centipoises and of a 1 weight per cent aqueous solution at 25*C. is less than about 4,500 centipoises; into an aqueous solution of at least one cation selected from the class consisting of aluminum, chromic, ferric, ferrous, silver, stannous ans zinc ions so as to form a filament and permit the diffusion of said cation into said extruded solution whilst keeping the diameter of said extruded filament below about 10 mils so that said cations diffuse a substantial portion of said extruded solution to form an insoluble complex; stretching the filament of said insoluble complex longitudinally; washing said filament with water; warming and drying the washed filament while it is held under tension in stretched condition and sterilizing and storing it in a package adapted to maintaining it in sterile condition.