Surgical closure having ease of assembly

Claim 2

A surgical closure which comprises: a first surgical tape member for application to one side of an incision; a second surgical tape member for application to the other side of an incision; said first surgical tape member being provided with a plurality of tie member anchors and said second surgical tape member having a plurality of tie member receiving slide ports, the improvement comprising, in combinatioN, elongated tie members removably connected to said anchors for coupling to said anchors while a portion of said tie members are received in said slide ports, and separate, tie members locking means removably connected to said tie members, for cooperating with said slide ports to grasp and retain said tie members in desired positions within said slide ports, said locking means comprising sleeve members proportioned to receive said tie members in sliding relationship within the bores of said sleeve members.

Claim 3

A surgical closure as described in claim 1, said tie members each defining a plurality of transverse serrations, and said sleeve members each defining a releasable locking pawl for grasping a serration of said tie member.

Claim 4

The closure of claim 2 in which said tie member is a generally semi-rigid bar.

Claim 5

The closure of claim 3 in which said bar is generally rectilinear in cross-section.

Claim 6

The closure of claim 4 in which said tie member receiving slides and said tie anchors are each arranged in a linear array.

Claim 7

The closure of claim 5 in which said tie member anchors are defined by a unitary, flexible, elongated member defining a plurality of the member receiving anchor ports therein, each tie member defining an enlarged end portion which is too large to pass through said anchor ports.

Claim 8

The closure of claim 6 in which said tie member receiving slides are defined by a second, unitary, flexible elongated member having a plurality of tie member receiving slide ports defined therethrough, said ports being too small to permit passage of said enlarged end portion.

Claim 9

The closure of claim 7 in which the number of each of said anchor ports and slide ports present is greater than said number of said tie members present, to provide the user with flexibility and choice of tie member placement for the most desirable incision closing effect.

Claim 10

The closure of claim 8 in which said tie member anchors and tie member receiving slides are made of rubber, to frictionally retain said tie members.

Claim 11

A surgical closure which comprises a first surgical tape member for application to one side of an incision; a second surgical tape member for application to the other side of an incision; said first surgical tape member being provided with a plurality of tie member receiving anchors and said second surgical tape member having a plurality of tie member receiving slide ports, the improvement comprising, in combination, tie members removably connected to said anchors for connection to said anchors while a portion of said tie members are received in said slide ports; and means for retaining said tie members in said slide ports for biasing said first and second surgical tape members together for wound closure; said tie member receiving slide ports having axes which are generally parallel to said second surgical tape member surface and generally normal to the incision facing edge of said second tape member, said tie member anchors being defined by a unitary, flexible, elongated member defining a plurality of tie member receiving anchor ports therein, whereby each tie member can be anchored by insertion into a tie member receiving anchor port, said tie members having sufficient rigidity to permit sliding insertion of said tie members into said tie member receiving slide ports and said tie member receiving anchor ports, each said tie member having an enlarged end portion for abutting one of said ports on the side of its associated elongated member which is remote from said incision to prevent passage of said tie member therethrough.

Claim 12

A surgical closure which comprises a first surgical tape member for application to one side of an incision; a second surgical tape member for application to the other side of an incision; said first surgical tape member being provided with a plurality of tie member receiving anchors and said second surgical tape member having a plurality of tie member receiving slide ports, the improvement comprising, in combination, tie members removably connected to said anchors for connection to said anchors while a portion of said tie members are received in said slide ports; and means for retaining said tie members in said slide ports for biasing said first and second surgical tape members together for wound closure; said tie member receiving slide ports having axes which are generally parallel to said second surgical tape member surface and generally normal to the incision facing edge of said second tape member, said tie member anchors being defined by a unitary, flexible, elongated member defining a plurality of tie member receiving anchor ports therein, whereby each tie member can be anchored by insertion into a tie member receiving anchor port, said tie members having sufficient rigidity to permit sliding insertion of said tie members into said tie member receiving slide ports and said tie member receiving anchor ports, each said tie member having an enlarged end portion for abutting one of said ports on the side of its associated elongated member which is remote from said incision to prevent passage of said tie member therethrough.

Claim 13

The closure of claim 10 in which said tie member receiving slide ports are defined by a second, unitary, flexible, elongated member.

Claim 14

The closure of claim 11 in which said means for retaining the tie members in said slide ports comprises sleeve members proportioned to receive said tie members in sliding relationship within the bores of said sleeve members, said tie members each defining a plurality of transverse sErrations, and said sleeve members each defining a releasable locking pawl for grasping a serration of said tie member, wherein said sleeve member is placed on said tie member in a position adjacent the side of said second flexible, elongated member which is remote from the incision, to permit said second elongated member and said sleeve member to cooperate to prevent withdrawl of said tie member through its associated slide port.

Claim 15

The closure of claim 12 in which said tie member is a generally semi-rigid bar.

Claim 16

The closure of claim 14 in which the tie member is generally rectilinear in cross-section.