Method for patterning a medical device

1. A method for color-patterning a medical device comprising:

forming a medical device from a combination of materials comprising at least one volatile dye and at least one polymer;

applying at least one masking agent to predetermined portions of the formed medical device to provide masked and unmasked portions of the medical device; and

treating the medical device to remove the at least one volatile dye from the unmasked portion of the medical device thereby forming a color pattern on the medical device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the formed medical device comprises a medical device selected from the group consisting of a suture, staple, mesh, patch, sling, stent, graft, clip, pin, screw, rivet, tack, bone plate, drug delivery device, wound dressing, woven device, non-woven device, braided device, adhesion barrier, and tissue scaffold.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the medical device is a suture.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one volatile dye is selected from the group consisting of copper phthalocyanine, D&C Green No. 6, D&C Blue No. 6, D&C Violet No. 2, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one volatile dye comprises D&C Violet No. 2.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one polymer comprises an absorbable polymer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one polymer comprises a non-absorbable polymer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the medical device comprises extrusion.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one masking agent comprises a metal salt of a fatty acid.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one masking agent comprises an agent selected from the group consisting of calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, barium stearate, aluminum stearate, zinc stearate, calcium palmitate, magnesium palmitate, barium palmitate, aluminum palmitate, zinc palmitate, calcium oleate, magnesium oleate, barium oleate, aluminum oleate, zinc oleate, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one masking agent comprises calcium stearate.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one masking agent further comprises a bioabsorbable polymer in combination with the at least one masking agent.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one masking agent further comprises a non-bioabsorbable polymer in combination with the at least one masking agent.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein treating the medical device comprises exposing the medical device to a temperature from about 75° C. to about 175° C.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein treating the medical device further comprises exposing the medical device to a pressure of from about 50 m torr to about 700 torr.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein treating the medical device comprises treating the medical device from about 10 minutes to about 24 hours.