Method of forming barbs on a suture and apparatus for performing same
View Patent ↗A method of making a barbed suture by varying the blade geometry and/or the movement of the blade when cutting a suture. The method can also be accomplished with a cutting device to create a plurality of barbs on the exterior of surgical suture. The barbs produced using the method with the cutting device can be the same or random configurations.
1. A method of cutting barbs on a suture having a longitudinal axis, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a suture;
providing a cutting blade;
twisting said suture along a y-axis prior to cutting;
creating a barb on said suture by the motion of the blade which takes into account a cutting action by the blade on the suture in three dimensions along x-y-z axes of the suture caused by blade geometry in conjunction with blade motion; and
providing a means for moving the blade to cause said cutting action to create the barb.
2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the blade geometry causes a cutting action on the suture along two axes with the motion of the blade causing a cutting action along the remaining axis.
3. The method as described in claim 2 wherein the y-axis is a longitudinal axis of the suture, the x-axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the z-axis is at 90° with respect to the x-axis.
4. The method as described in claim 3 wherein the blade geometry causes a cutting action along the y and z axis with the blade motion causing a cutting action along the x-axis.
5. The method as described in claim 4 which includes providing a plurality of blades each of which creates a respective barb on the suture.
6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the blade geometry causes a cutting action on the suture along one axis with the motion of the blade causing cutting along the remaining two axes.
7. The method as described in claim 6 wherein the y-axis is a longitudinal axis of the suture, the x-axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the z-axis is at 90° with respect to the x-axis.
8. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the blade geometry causes a cutting action along the z-axis with the blade motion causing a cutting action along the x and y axes.
9. The method as described in claim 8 which includes providing a plurality of blades each of which creates a respective barb on the suture.
10. The method as described in claim 1 wherein they-axis is a longitudinal axis of the suture, the x-axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the z-axis is at 90° with respect to the x-axis.
11. The method as described in claim 1 , further comprising a step of providing a securing means for securing the suture for cutting.
12. The method as described in claim 11 , wherein said securing means provides for relative rotation as between the suture and the cutting blade.
13. A method of cutting barbs on a suture having a longitudinal axis, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a suture:
providing a cutting blade;
creating a barb on said suture by the motion of the blade which takes into account a cutting action by the blade on the suture in three dimensions alone x-y-z axes of the suture; and
providing a means for moving the blade to cause said cutting action to create the barb,
wherein the motion of the blade causes cutting along the x-y-z axes.
14. The method as described in claim 13 which includes providing a plurality of blades each of which creates a respective barb on the suture.
15. The method as described in claim 14 which includes the further step of twisting said suture along the y-axis prior to cutting.
16. An apparatus for cutting barbs on a suture comprising:
a cutting bed on which a suture is maintained in place, said suture having x-y-z axes wherein the y-axis is a longitudinal axis of the suture, the x-axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the z-axis is at 90° with respect to the x-axis;
means for causing a blade assembly to contact the suture in a predetermined manner; and
said blade assembly comprising a plurality of cutting blades having a geometry, and means for moving said cutting blades along the x-axis of the suture at a plurality of locations with the movement of the blades and the blades' geometry, producing a plurality of barbs on said suture, wherein the blade geometry causes a cutting action on the suture along two axes with the motion of the blade causing a cutting action along the remaining axis.
17. An apparatus for cutting barbs on a suture according to comprising:
a cutting bed on which a suture is maintained in place, said suture having x-y-z axes wherein the y-axis is a longitudinal axis of the suture, the x-axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the z-axis is at 90° with respect to the x-axis;
means for twisting said suture along a y-axis prior to cutting;
means for causing a blade assembly to contact the suture in a predetermined manner; and
said blade assembly comprising a plurality of cutting blades having a geometry, and means for moving said cutting blades along the x-axis of the suture at a plurality of locations with the movement of the blades and the blades' geometry, producing a plurality of barbs on said suture.
18. An apparatus for cutting barbs on a suture comprising:
a cutting bed on which a suture is maintained in place, said suture having x-y-z axes wherein the y-axis is a longitudinal axis of the suture, the x-axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the z-axis is at 90° with respect to the x-axis;
means for causing a blade assembly to contact the suture in a predetermined manner; and
said blade assembly comprising a plurality of cutting blades having a geometry, and means for moving said cutting blades in the x and y axes of the suture at a plurality of locations with the movement of the blades and the blades' geometry, producing a plurality of barbs on said suture, wherein the blade geometry causes a cutting action on the suture alone two axes with the motion of the blade causing a cutting action along the remaining axis.
19. An apparatus for cutting barbs on a suture comprising:
a cutting bed on which a suture is maintained in place, said suture having x-y-z axes wherein the y-axis is a longitudinal axis of the suture, the x-axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the z-axis is at 90° with respect to the x-axis;
means for twisting said suture along a y-axis prior to cutting;
means for causing a blade assembly to contact the suture in a predetermined manner; and
said blade assembly comprising a plurality of cutting blades having a geometry, and means for moving said cutting blades in the x and y axes of the suture at a plurality of locations with the movement of the blades and the blades' geometry, producing a plurality of barbs on said suture.
20. An apparatus for cutting barbs on a suture comprising:
a cutting bed on which a suture is maintained in place, said suture having x-y-z axes wherein the y-axis is a longitudinal axis of the suture, the x-axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the z-axis is at 90° with respect to the x-axis;
means for causing a blade assembly to contact the suture in a predetermined manner; and
said blade assembly comprising a plurality of cutting blades and means for moving said cutting blades in the x and y and z axes of the suture at a plurality of locations with the movement of the blades, producing a plurality of barbs on said suture, wherein the blade geometry causes a cutting action on the suture along two axes with the motion of the blade causing a cutting action along the remaining axis.
21. An apparatus for cutting barbs on a suture comprising:
a cutting bed on which a suture is maintained in place, said suture having x-y-z axes wherein the y-axis is a longitudinal axis of the suture, the x-axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the z-axis is at 90° with respect to the x-axis;
means for twisting said suture alone a y-axis prior to cutting;
means for causing a blade assembly to contact the suture in a predetermined manner; and
said blade assembly comprising a plurality of cutting blades having a geometry, and means for moving said cutting blades in the x and y and z axes of the suture at a plurality of locations with the movement of the blades, producing a plurality of barbs on said suture.
22. A method of cutting a barb on a suture, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a suture having a longitudinal axis;
twisting said suture along its longitudinal axis; and
cutting a barb on said suture when in its twisted state.
23. The method in accordance with claim 22 which includes the further step of cutting a plurality of barbs on said suture when in its twisted state.
24. A method of cutting barbs on a suture having a longitudinal axis, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a suture;
providing a cutting blade;
creating a barb on said suture by a motion of the blade which takes into account a cutting action by the blade on the suture in three dimensions along x-y-z axes of the suture caused by blade geometry in conjunction with blade motion; and
providing a means for moving the blade to cause said cutting action to create the barb,
wherein the blade geometry causes a cutting action on the suture along two axes with the motion of the blade causing a cutting action along the remaining axis.
25. The method as described in claim 24 wherein the y-axis is a longitudinal axis of the suture, the x-axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and the z-axis is at 90° with respect to the x-axis.
26. The method as described in claim 25 wherein the blade geometry causes a cutting action along the y and z axis with the blade motion causing a cutting action along the x-axis.
27. The method as described in claim 26 which includes providing a plurality of blades each of which creates a respective barb on the suture.
28. The method as described in claim 27 which includes the further step of twisting said suture along the y-axis prior to cutting.
29. The method of claim 28 further comprising the step of providing a securing means for securing the suture for cutting, wherein said securing means provides for relative rotation as between the suture and the cutting blade.