Claims
- 1. A self-securing suture toggle comprising a suture thread having a stiff end segment at a terminal end and a toggle disposed on said terminal end, said toggle and said stiff end segment defining an acute angle between 25 degrees and 55 degrees.
- 2. A suture as claimed in claim 1 wherein said stiff end segment is made by one of a coating process and a hardening process.
- 3. A suture as claimed in claim 1 wherein said stiff end segment is coated with one of a polymer, a biocompatible acrylic and a biocompatible material.
- 4. A suture as claimed in claim 1 wherein said toggle is one of a metal body toggle and a biocompatible plastic body toggle.
- 5. A suture as claimed in claim 1 wherein said toggle and said stiff end segment are substantially covered by a coating of biocompatible material.
- 6. A suture as claimed in claim 1 wherein said suture thread is disposed offset from a central region of said toggle.
- 7. A suture as claimed in claim 1 wherein said toggle has one of a cylindrical shape, a rectangular shape and a rectangular shape with beveled edges.
- 8. A self-securing suture toggle comprising a suture thread having a stiff end segment at a terminal end and a toggle disposed on said terminal end, said toggle and said stiff end segment defining an acute angle and a biocompatible material substantially coating said toggle and said stiff end segment.
- 9. A suture as claimed in claim 8 wherein said acute angle is one of an angle from 25 degrees to 65 degrees.
- 10. A self-securing suture toggle comprising a suture thread having a stiff end segment at a terminal end and a toggle disposed on said terminal end, and a portion of said stiff end segment swaged onto said toggle in a closed channel.
- 11. A suture as claimed in claim 10 wherein said suture thread is disposed offset from a central region of said toggle.
- 12. A suture as claimed in claim 10 wherein said toggle is an elongated toggle having two opposing ends and said suture thread is disposed near one of said opposing ends.
- 13. A suture as claimed in claim 10 wherein said toggle and said stiff end segment define an acute angle.
- 14. A suture as claimed in claim 13 wherein said acute angle is one of an angle from 25 degrees to 65 degrees.
- 15. A suture as claimed in claim 10 wherein said stiff end segment is made by one of a coating process and a hardening process.
- 16. A suture as claimed in claim 10 wherein said stiff end segment is coated with one of a polymer, a biocompatible acrylic and a biocompatible material.
- 17. A suture as claimed in claim 10 wherein said toggle is one of a metal body toggle and a biocompatible plastic body toggle.
- 18. A suture as claimed in claim 10 wherein said toggle and said stiff end segment are substantially covered by a coating of biocompatible material.
- 19. A suture as claimed in claim 10 wherein said toggle has one of a cylindrical shape, a rectangular shape and a rectangular shape with beveled edges.
- 20. A self-securing suture toggle comprising a suture thread having a stiff end segment at a terminal end and a toggle disposed on said terminal end, and a portion of said stiff end segment swaged onto said toggle in a closed cutout.
- 21. A suture as claimed in claim 20 wherein said suture thread is disposed offset from a central region of said toggle.
- 22. A suture as claimed in claim 20 wherein said toggle is an elongated toggle having two opposing ends and said suture thread is disposed near one of said opposing ends.
- 23. A suture as claimed in claim 20 wherein said toggle and said stiff end segment define an acute angle.
- 24. A suture as claimed in claim 23 wherein said acute angle is one of an angle from 25 degrees to 65 degrees.
- 25. A suture as claimed in claim 24 wherein said stiff end segment is made by one of a coating process and a hardening process.
- 26. A suture as claimed in claim 20 wherein said stiff end segment is coated with one of a polymer, a biocompatible acrylic and a biocompatible material.
- 27. A suture as claimed in claim 20 wherein said toggle is one of a metal body toggle and a biocompatible plastic body toggle.
- 28. A suture as claimed in claim 20 wherein said toggle and said stiff end segment are substantially covered by a coating of biocompatible material.
- 29. A suture as claimed in claim 20 wherein said toggle has one of a cylindrical shape, a rectangular shape and a rectangular shape with beveled edges.
- 30. A method of manufacture for producing a suture toggle from a suture thread having an end segment at a terminal end thereof, and a toggle comprising the steps of:
creating at least a partial channel on said toggle; stiffening the suture thread end segment; positioning a portion of the stiffened end segment in said channel; and swaging said toggle channel closed about said portion of said stiffened end segment.
- 31. A method as claimed in claim 30 wherein said creating step includes one of a boring step, a forming step, a cutting step, a grinding step and a molding step to create said partial channel on said toggle.
- 32. A method as claimed in claim 30 including the step of creating said channel with an open side region sized to accommodate said stiffened end segment.
- 33. A method as claimed in claim 30 further comprising the step of roughening said suture channel in said toggle after said creating step.
- 34. A method as claimed in claim 30 wherein said positioning step includes aligning said stiffened end segment and said toggle to define an acute angle therebetween.
- 35. A method as claimed in claim 30 wherein said stiffening step includes one of cold dipping said suture thread end segment into a polymer and spraying said suture thread end segment with a biocompatible acrylic.
- 36. A method as claimed in claim 35 further comprising the step of drying said stiffened end segment prior to said positioning step.
- 37. A method as claimed in claim 30 further comprising the step of coating said toggle and said suture thread end segment with a biocompatible polymer after said swaging step.
- 38. A method of manufacture for producing a suture toggle from a suture thread having an end segment at a terminal end thereof and an elongated toggle having a longitudinal axis comprising the steps of:
creating a longitudinal passage through said toggle; forming a lateral hole through said toggle and into said passage; stiffening the suture thread end segment; placing said suture thread in said passage and through said hole such that a portion of the stiffened end segment lies in said passage and protrudes from said hole; swaging the toggle closed about the captured stiffened end segment; and coating said toggle and said portion of said stiffened end segment with a biocompatible material.
- 39. A method as claimed in claim 38 wherein said creating step and said forming step include cutting said toggle with a laser.
- 40. A method as claimed in claim 38 further comprising the step of roughening said toggle after one of said creating step and said forming step.
- 41. A method as claimed in claim 38 wherein said placing step includes aligning said stiffened end segment and said toggle to define an acute angle therebetween.
- 42. A method as claimed in claim 38 wherein said stiffening step includes one of cold dipping said suture thread end segment into a polymer and spraying said suture thread end segment with a biocompatible acrylic.
- 43. A method as claimed in claim 42 further comprising the step of drying said stiffened end segment prior to said placing step.
- 44. A method of manufacture for producing a suture toggle with a suture thread having an end segment at a terminal end thereof comprising the steps of:
providing a mold defining a toggle-shaped cavity and a suture thread-shaped cavity communicating therewith; stiffening the suture thread end segment; positioning said suture thread end segment within said suture thread cavity; molding a toggle onto the positioned suture thread end segment at an acute angle with said mold.
- 45. A method as claimed in claim 44 wherein said acute angle is between 25 degrees and 65 degrees.
- 46. A method as claimed in claim 44 wherein said stiffening step includes one of cold dipping said suture thread end segment into a polymer and spraying said suture thread end segment with a biocompatible acrylic.
- 47. A method as claimed in claim 46 further comprising the step of drying said stiffened end segment prior to said attaching step.
- 48. A method as claimed in claim 44 wherein said mold in said providing step defines a toggle cavity having one of a cylindrical shape, a rectangular shape and a rectangular shape with beveled edges.
- 49. A method as claimed in claim 44 wherein said positioning step occurs prior to said stiffening step and said stiffening step occurs substantially concurrently with said molding step.
- 50. A method as claimed in claim 44 wherein said toggle cavity includes a cavity defining a protruding member communicating therewith.
- 51. A method of manufacture for producing a suture toggle with a suture thread having an end segment at a terminal end thereof comprising the steps of:
providing a mold defining a toggle-shaped cavity, a suture thread-shaped cavity and a protruding member-shaped cavity, the suture thread and protruding member cavities communicating with the toggle cavity; stiffening the suture thread end segment; positioning said suture thread end segment within said suture thread cavity; and molding a toggle with a protruding member onto the positioned suture thread end segment with said mold.
- 52. A method as claimed in claim 51 wherein said molding step includes molding said toggle with said protruding member onto said positioned suture thread end segment at an acute angle.
- 53. A method as claimed in claim 52 wherein said acute angle is between 25 degrees and 65 degrees.
- 54. A method as claimed in claim 51 wherein said stiffening step includes one of cold dipping said suture thread end segment into a polymer and spraying said suture thread end segment with a biocompatible acrylic.
- 55. A method as claimed in claim 51 further comprising the step of drying said stiffened end segment prior to said attaching step.
- 56. A method as claimed in claim 51 wherein said mold in said providing step defines a toggle cavity having one of a cylindrical shape, rectangular shape and a rectangular shape with beveled edges.
- 57. A method as claimed in claim 51 wherein said positioning step occurs prior to said stiffening step and said stiffening step occurs substantially concurrently with said molding step.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part patent application based upon patent application Ser. No. 09/661,024 filed Sep. 13, 2000, currently pending, which is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 09/413,145 filed Oct. 6, 1999, which is a regular patent application based upon provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/143,555 filed Jul. 13, 1999.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60143555 |
Jul 1999 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09413145 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Child |
09661024 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09661024 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
Child |
09804764 |
Mar 2001 |
US |