US 12,185,943 B2
Curled suture device apparatus and method
Thomas Salvant, Covington, LA (US)
Assigned to SMART SUTURES, LLC, Mandeville, LA (US)
Filed by SMART SUTURES, LLC, Mandeville, LA (US)
Filed on Mar. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/123,534.
Application 16/906,930 is a division of application No. 15/679,978, filed on Aug. 17, 2017, granted, now 10,722,230, issued on Jul. 28, 2020.
Application 18/123,534 is a continuation of application No. 16/906,930, filed on Jun. 19, 2020, granted, now 11,607,214.
Application 15/679,978 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/394,578, filed on Dec. 29, 2016, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/274,145, filed on Dec. 31, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2023/0218292 A1, Jul. 13, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 17/06 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/04 (2006.01); A61B 17/11 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/06166 (2013.01) [A61B 17/0469 (2013.01); A61B 17/06066 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00004 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00867 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0477 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0608 (2013.01); A61B 2017/06171 (2013.01); A61B 2017/06176 (2013.01); A61B 2017/1132 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A suture device, comprising:
(i) a needle; and
(ii) a thread attached to said needle, the thread having a proximate end portion and distal end portion, the distal end portion including a shape-memory material and being adapted to shift between a first, curled configuration resembling a corkscrew and a second configuration, wherein the distal end portion straightens when tying a knot in the thread, and wherein the distal end portion biases to the first configuration to allow tying of additional knots in the thread; and wherein the thread further comprises a stopper formed by an additional tubular layer of material, a knot, or a barb and a semi-rigid portion formed between the stopper and the distal end position, the semi-rigid portion extending at an angle to the stopper.