Braided Barbed Suture Core Profile for Strength and Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sutures face challenges such as knot slippage, knot breakage, wound re-opening, tissue distortion, impaired blood flow, scar formation, infection, and device failure due to delamination of barbs from the core, along with stiffness and multiple tensile strength points in braided barbed sutures.
Innovation Solution
A braided barbed suture comprising a barbed monofilament insert with a reduced-thickness elongated core and a braided sheath, where the sheath provides primary tensile strength and flexibility, eliminating the need for knots and ensuring a single breaking point.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a thick core is used in barbed sutures to provide strength, then tensile strength is improved, but flexibility deteriorates and bulk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The core is designed with non-uniform thickness featuring a central region and lateral regions, creating different local mechanical properties. The central region provides structural integrity while the lateral regions reduce bulk and maintain flexibility. This local variation in geometry allows the core to simultaneously achieve strength and flexibility without requiring uniform thickness throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture combines a monofilament core with a braided sheath, creating a composite structure. The monofilament core provides tensile strength while the braided sheath contributes flexibility and handling characteristics. This composite approach allows each material to contribute its advantageous properties to the overall suture performance.
2Strength
If multiple barbs are added to the core to improve tissue engagement, then holding strength is improved, but device complexity increases and delamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple barbs are integrated into a single monofilament core structure rather than being separate components. The barbs are formed as part of the core manufacturing process, creating a unified structure that reduces the number of interfaces and potential delamination points while maintaining the tissue engagement benefits of multiple barbs.
3Reliability
If knots are used to secure sutures to ensure wound closure, then wound closure reliability is improved, but tissue damage and infection risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The barbed suture design extracts and eliminates the need for knots by incorporating tissue-engaging barbs directly into the suture structure. The barbs provide mechanical interlocking with tissue, replacing the knot-tying process and thereby eliminating the associated tissue damage, restricted blood flow, and infection risks while maintaining wound closure reliability.
4Ease of operation
If a braided sheath is added to provide flexibility, then handling characteristics are improved, but tensile strength distribution becomes complex with multiple breaking points
Solution Approach 1:
The suture combines a monofilament core with a braided sheath, creating a composite structure. The monofilament core provides consistent tensile strength and a single breaking point, while the braided sheath contributes flexibility and handling characteristics. This composite approach allows each material to contribute its advantageous properties to the overall suture performance.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4A~4C
Figure 4D~4E
AI summary
A braided barbed suture includes a barbed monofilament insert including an elongated core having a thickness and a plurality of barbs projecting outwardly from opposite sides of the elongated core. The braided barbed suture includes a braided sheath surrounding the elongated core to form a composite core of the braided barbed suture. The composite core has a thickness and the elongated core is located in a center of the composite core. The elongated core thickness is about 6-8 mil and the composite core thickness is about 13-18 mil. A ratio of the elongated core thickness relative to the composite core thickness is between about 0.16 to 0.91. The elongated core has transition zones that form a concave profile. The braided barbed suture has a single breaking point for both the braided sheath and the barbed monofilament insert. The barbed monofilament insert has a PDS monofilament core, and the braided sheath is a VICRYL multifilament yarn braided sheath.