Synthetic fibers for medical use and method of making the same
US6551353B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 26, 2000 |
| Grant date | Apr 22, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 26, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T442/2525
- WIPO fieldPharmaceuticals
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A synthetic fiber is formed with a plurality of longitudinally-extending cavities (16, 54 and 64) which hold a medicament that is intended to be absorbed into tissue brought into contact with the fiber. The fiber can be formed by dissolving a soluble polymer component 14 of an extruded plural-component fiber 10, leaving cavities 16 that extend inward from the outer surface of the fiber in the locations of the dissolved polymer. After the fiber has been exposed to a solvent, the cavities left by the dissolved component are filled with a medicament 18. Specifically, the cavities are filled with a medicament that is mixed with a viscous carrier which solidifies within the cavities. The fibers can be used to make sutures, textile prostheses for insertion into the body, and epidermal pads and bandages. Fibers having internal cavities 64, i.e., cavities not extending to the external surface of the fiber, can be formed by extruding a single-component fiber 60 from a spinneret orifice 72 having a number of T-shaped slots extending from a central hub. A medicament is introduced into the internal cavities by soaking the fiber in a liquid containing the medicament. The internal-cavity fiber i…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.