Method of increasing film tear strength

1. A method for increasing the tensile strength of a polymer film comprising:

creating at least one load distribution element circumferentially oriented in a polymer film that has undergone in plane radial expansion;

attaching two tethers to said polymer film proximate to a single load distribution element of said at least one load distribution element; and

applying a tensile load to the polymer film via the tethers on or near to the at least one load distribution element,

wherein the maximum tensile load of the polymer film with the at least one load distribution element is increased relative to the polymer film prior to the creation of the at least one load distribution element, and

wherein said at least one load distribution element deforms under applied tensile load and yields an increase in the load required for failure compared to the polymer film prior to the creation of the at least one distribution load element.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one load distribution element comprises a slit.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one load distribution element comprises an aperture.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer film has a thickness less than 0.10 inch.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer film has a thickness less than 0.050 inch.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer film has a thickness less than 0.010 inch.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer film has a thickness less than 0.002 inch.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said polymer film is a surgical polymer film.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tethers are attached to said polymer film via at least one attachment element, and

wherein said load distribution element has a width greater than a width of said attachment element.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the attachment element comprises an adhesive or a mechanical interlock or sewn connection.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the attachment element comprises a suture.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the attachment element comprises a staple.

13. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the load distribution element includes a load distribution perforation, and

wherein the load distribution perforation has a width greater than a width of the tether.

14. The method of claim 13 ,

wherein the tether is attached to said polymer film via an attachment element, and

wherein the load distribution perforation has a width greater than a width of the attachment element.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two tethers are two of a plurality of tethers, the method further comprising:

creating a plurality of load distribution elements in said polymer film, wherein the plurality of load distribution elements include the at least one load distribution element;

attaching, to each of the load distribution elements in said polymer film, at least one of the tethers of the plurality tethers,

wherein the polymer film further includes, in addition to the load distribution elements, a plurality of perforations forming a uniform pattern, and each of the plurality of perforations forming the uniform pattern are each smaller than each of the load distribution elements of the plurality of load distribution elements,

wherein the plurality of perforations forming the uniform pattern are each smaller than widths of the tethers and no tethers are attached to any of the plurality of perforations forming the uniform pattern.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one load distribution element includes a plurality of circumferentially oriented load distribution elements.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the load distribution element has a width greater than a width of any of the tethers.

18. A method for increasing the load required for failure of a polymer film, said method comprising:

creating at least one load distribution perforation in a polymer film that has undergone in plane expansion,

attaching two tethers to said polymer film proximate to a single load distribution element of said at least one load distribution perforation; and

applying a transversely oriented tensile load to the polymer film via the tethers,

wherein said at least one load distribution perforation deforms under applied tensile load and yields an increase in the maximum tensile load required for failure of said polymer film compared to the polymer film prior to the creation of the at least one distribution load element.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the at least one load distribution perforation comprises a slit.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the at least one load distribution perforation comprises an aperture.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the polymer film has a thickness less than 0.10 inch.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the polymer film has a thickness less than 0.050 inch.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the polymer film has a thickness less than 0.010 inch.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the polymer film has a thickness less than 0.002 inch.

25. The method of claim 18 , wherein said failure comprises the tensile load required to cause said polymer film to be substantially separated from said applied tensile load.

26. The method of claim 18 ,

wherein the tether is attached to said polymer film via an attachment element, and

wherein the load distribution perforation has a width greater than a width of the attachment element.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the attachment element comprises an adhesive or a mechanical interlock or sewn connection.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the attachment element comprises a suture.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the attachment element comprises a staple.

30. The method of claim 26 , wherein said polymer film is a surgical polymer film.

31. The method of claim 18 ,

wherein the two tethers are two of a plurality of tethers, the method further comprising:

creating a plurality of load distribution perforations in said polymer film, wherein the plurality of load distribution perforations include the at least one load distribution perforation;

attaching, to each of the load distribution perforations in said polymer film, at least one of the tethers of the plurality tethers,

wherein the polymer film further includes, in addition to the load distribution perforations, a plurality of perforations forming a uniform pattern, and each of the plurality of perforations forming the uniform pattern are each smaller than each of the load distribution perforations of the plurality of load distribution perforations,

wherein the plurality of perforations forming the uniform pattern are each smaller than widths of the tethers and no tethers are attached to any of the plurality of perforations forming the uniform pattern.

32. The method of claim 18 wherein the at least one load distribution perforation includes a plurality of circumferentially oriented load distribution perforations.

33. The method of claim 18 wherein the load distribution perforation has a width greater than a width of any of the tethers.