Surgical needle coatings and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9266145-B2
Application number	US-201313790063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2013
Priority date	Nov 9, 2009
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

The present invention provides improved medical devices for use in surgical procedures and methods for manufacturing improved medical devices. In some embodiments, the improved medical devices can include improved surgical needles that are capable of being repeatedly passed through tissue using minimal force. More particularly, the improved surgical needles can be manufactured with two or more different coatings that provide the surgical needles with both durability and lubricity for ease of repeated and successive passes through tissue. Improved methods for manufacturing the surgical needles and for providing and applying coatings to the surgical needles are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for coating a surgical needle, comprising:
positioning a surgical needle having a tissue-penetrating end and a suture attachment end between first and second nozzles, the first and second nozzles being opposed to and facing one another;
positioning a tip of each of the first and second nozzles at a non-zero angle relative to a horizontal plane;
activating the first and second nozzles, with the tips positioned at the non-zero angle relative to the horizontal plane, to apply, as a liquid, a base coating onto a surface of the surgical needle positioned between the first and second nozzles such that at least a portion of the surgical needle proximate to a carrier having the surgical needle mounted thereon is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane, wherein the first and second nozzles are disposed on opposite sides of the surgical needle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the surgical needle;
wherein each of the first and second nozzles dispenses a rotating spray of coating particles that swirl around the surgical needle to coat the surgical needle.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
positioning the surgical needle between third and fourth nozzles, the third and fourth nozzles being opposed to and facing one another; and
activating the third and fourth nozzles to spray a top coating on the base coating, the top coating differing from the base coating.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the base coating enhances the durability of the top coating.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein a combined thickness of the base and top coating is less than about 8 microns.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tip comprises a fluted tip, the method further comprising adjusting an angle of the fluted tip of the nozzle configured to deliver the coating therefrom to control a pitch of the rotating spray dispensed by the nozzle.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving the surgical needle and the first and second nozzles relative to each other at a relative speed of between about 3 inches per second and about 5 inches per second while the nozzles are activated to spray a coating.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second nozzles are horizontally offset relative to one another at an angle less than 180°.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the surgical needle is metal, and wherein spraying the base coating includes spraying the base coating onto the metal surface of the surgical needle.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying, as a liquid spray, a primer to the surface of the surgical needle, wherein the surface is metallic, and wherein the base coating is applied to the primed surface of the surgical needle.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying, as a liquid spray, a primer comprising silicon to the surface of the surgical needle, and wherein the base coating is applied to the primed surface of the surgical needle.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second nozzles are configured to move in three dimensions.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the angle based on a type of the coating.

Assignees

• Ethicon Inc
• Ethicon Llc

Inventors

• Maurer Robert
• Bar S Neil
• Hinrichs Eric
• Hamilton Michael
• Wilkes Thomas

Classifications

• A61L2420/08

  Coatings comprising two or more layers · CPC title

• A61L31/022

  Metals or alloys · CPC title

• A61B2017/00849

  with respect to tissue, e.g. hollow organs · CPC title

• B21G1/006

  Special treatments of pins or needles, e.g. annealing, straightening · CPC title

• A61L31/10

  Macromolecular materials · CPC title