SUTURE WITH A PLURALITY OF COLOR MARKS

Abstract

A suture includes an outer sheath with color marks and a background visually distinguishable from the color marks. Each color mark has exposed portions of at least two colored yarns of first and second different colors. The background includes exposed portions of background yarns of a background color. The background yarns and the colored yarns are braided to each other. The first and second colors are different from the background color. The color marks are arranged in at least one row along a longitudinal direction of the suture. Each color mark is longitudinally shifted with respect to a subsequent color mark in a same row by a first shift, and the exposed portions of the colored yarns of each color mark are substantially parallel to each other and arranged in a sequence along the longitudinal direction of the suture.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A suture having an outer sheath comprising a plurality of color marks and a background visually distinguishable from the color marks, wherein each color mark comprises exposed portions of at least two colored yarns of respective first and second colors, and wherein said background comprises exposed portions of background yarns of a background color, said background yarns and said at least two colored yarns being braided to each other, said first and second colors being different from said background color and said first color being different from said second color, wherein said plurality of color marks are arranged in at least one row along a longitudinal direction of the suture, each color mark being longitudinally shifted with respect to a subsequent color mark in a same row by a first shift, and wherein the exposed portions of the at least two colored yarns of each color mark are substantially parallel to each other and arranged in a sequence along the longitudinal direction of the suture.

17. The suture according to claim 16, wherein in each color mark said exposed portions of the at least two colored yarns are adjacent to one another along the longitudinal direction of the suture.

18. The suture according to claim 16, wherein said at least one row along the longitudinal direction of the suture comprises a plurality of rows circumferentially spaced from adjacent ones by at least one background row, said at least one background row comprising only exposed portions of background yarns.

19. The suture according to claim 18, wherein said plurality of rows comprises at least two rows circumferentially spaced apart from adjacent ones.

20. The suture according to claim 19, wherein said plurality of rows comprises four rows circumferentially spaced apart from adjacent ones by 90°.

21. The suture according to claim 18, wherein each color mark is longitudinally shifted with respect to a subsequent color mark in a same row of any row by said first shift.

22. The suture according to claim 21, wherein any color mark of a first row is longitudinally shifted by a second shift along the longitudinal direction with respect to a corresponding color mark in a second row circumferentially subsequent to the first row.

23. The suture according to claim 21, wherein all the color marks of the suture are ideally crossed by a number of ideal helixes all having a constant pitch.

24. The suture according to claim 16, wherein said first shift is defined by a number of subsequent and adjacent exposed portions of yarns along a longitudinal direction, wherein said number of subsequent and adjacent exposed portions of yarns is equal to half of the total number of braided yarns of the suture.

25. The suture according to claim 22, wherein said second shift is defined by a number of subsequent and adjacent exposed portions of yarns along a longitudinal direction, and is equal to X*S1, wherein S1 is the first shift, and X is calculated according to the formula:
X=4/b with b being equal to a number of bobbin carriers of a braiding machine used to manufacture the suture.

26. The suture according to claim 16, wherein each color mark comprises from 2 to 13 exposed portions of colored yarns, wherein at least two colored yarns respectively have said first and second color, and wherein the remaining colored yarns have a respective color selected from said first color, said second color and at least one other color different from said first and second color.

27. The suture according to claim 16, wherein each colored yarn is either of the first color or of the second color.

28. The suture according to claim 16, wherein in each color mark having more than two exposed portions of colored yarns, exposed portions of colored yarns of the same color are adjacent to each other.

29. The suture according to claim 16, wherein said outer sheath has a two over/two under braiding configuration.

30. The suture according to claim 16, wherein a raw material of all the yarns constituting the outer sheath of the suture is UHMWPE.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0088] A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0089] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a suture having color marks, according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0090] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a braiding configuration of a suture according to embodiments of the invention; and

[0091] FIG. 3-4 are schematic representations of the two sets of bobbin carriers of a maypole braiding machine set for braiding sutures having two different color marks according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0092] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a suture 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The suture 10 is in particular a suture thread, and comprises an outer sheath 12 formed by braiding a plurality of yarns. The outer sheath 12 comprises, on an outer surface thereof, a plurality of color marks 22a, 22b, 22c and 22d (also indicated with the general reference 22) that are visually distinguishable from a background 23.

[0093] The plurality of yarns of the suture 10 comprises background yarns 14 having a background color and thereby forming the background 23, and at least two colored yarns, comprising a first yarn 16 and a second yarn 18 of respective first and second colors that are different and contrasting from one another and with respect to the background color. In FIG. 1, the background color is represented by white, the first color by black and the second color by grey.

[0094] Indeed, the color marks 22 are formed of exposed portions of the colored yarns 16, 18, arranged in a sequence along the longitudinal direction L of the suture 10. The exposed portions of the first and second yarns 16, 18 of all color marks 22 run parallel to each other.

[0095] The color code identified by the sequence of the exposed portions of the first and second yarns 16, 18 of each color mark 22 is different if observed along a reference longitudinal direction (such as the longitudinal direction L indicated in FIG. 1, running from a first end 24 to a second end 26 of the suture 10) or from an opposite longitudinal direction (the direction from the second end 26 to the first end 24 of the suture 10). As already outlined, the color marks 22 provide an advantageous directional indication onto the outer sheath 12 of the suture 10, that can be advantageously used to aid the physician/surgeon to determine the running direction of the suture during surgery.

[0096] As will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 3-4 later described, in the configuration shown each color mark 22 can comprise further colored yarns up to a total of seven colored yarns.

[0097] For example the color marks 22 shown in FIG. 1 further comprise an exposed portion of a third yarn 20, having a third color, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0098] The third color of the third yarn 20 can be the same as the second color of the second yarn 18 (as in FIG. 1, again represented by grey), or it can be different.

[0099] The outer sheath 12 of the suture 10 preferably comprises a total of sixteen braided yarns, three of which being colored yarns (first, second and third yarns 16, 18, 20) and the remaining being background yarns 14.

[0100] The color marks 22 are repeated, all equal to each other, along the whole length of the suture 10 and in particular they are arranged in a plurality of rows 28, 30 running along the longitudinal direction L of the suture 10. In FIG. 1 four marks 22a, 22b, 22c and 22d are, distributed in two rows 28, 30.

[0101] Although in FIG. 1 only two rows 28, 30 of color marks 22 are visible, the outer sheath 12 of the suture 10 comprises four rows equally distributed along a circumference of the outer sheath 12, therefore circumferentially spaced apart from adjacent ones by 90°.

The rows 28, 30 and the two further rows (not visible) along the circumference of the outer sheath 12 are each separated from adjacent ones by at least one background row 32 comprising only exposed portions of background yarns 14.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 1, exposed portions of background yarns 14 of the at least one background row 32, positioned between two subsequent rows 28, 30, are parallel to each other but oriented, with respect to the longitudinal direction L, with an opposed angle with respect to the exposed portions of the first, second and third yarns 16, 18, 20, with respect to the longitudinal direction L.

[0103] In any row 28, 30, the color marks 22 are longitudinally shifted with respect to adjacent ones in a same row by a same first shift S1. In particular, each color mark 22 is longitudinally shifted by said first shift S1 with respect to a subsequent color mark in a same row 28, 30.

[0104] For example, the color mark 22a is longitudinally shifted by said shift S1 with respect to the subsequent color mark 22b, arranged along the same row 28, and the color mark 22c is longitudinally shifted by the same shift S1 with respect to the subsequent color mark 22d, arranged along the same row 30.

[0105] The first shift S1 is in particular defined by a number of subsequent and adjacent exposed portions of yarns along the longitudinal direction L. In other words, the first shift is determined by counting the adjacent exposed portions of yarns while moving from the beginning of a color mark 22 to the beginning of the following color mark 22 belonging to the same row 28, 30 (or, in an equivalent manner, between the end of a color mark 22 and the end of the following color mark 22).

[0106] The first shift S1 is in particular equal to half of the total number of braided yarns constituting the suture 10. For example, in the case of FIG. 1 in which the suture 10 consists of 16 braided yarns, the first shift for all the color marks 22 is equal to 8.

[0107] Moreover, the color marks 22 in a row 28 are longitudinally shifted by a second shift S2 with respect to corresponding color marks 22 in the circumferentially subsequent row 30.

[0108] Moreover, the color marks 22c, 22d of the row 30 are longitudinally shifted by a second shift S2 with respect to corresponding color marks 22a, 22b in the circumferentially subsequent row 28.

[0109] The second shift S2, similarly to the first shift S1, is defined by a number of subsequent and adjacent exposed portions of yarns along the longitudinal direction L of the suture 10. The second shift S2 is in particular determined by counting the adjacent exposed portions of yarns while moving, along the longitudinal direction L, from the beginning of a color mark 22 in a row (for example, the color mark 22d in row 30 in FIG. 1) to a longitudinal position corresponding to that of the beginning of a color mark 22 in a circumferentially subsequent row (for example, the color mark 22b in row 28 in FIG. 1).

[0110] The second shift S2 is constant and depends on the braiding configuration adopted. In the case shown in FIG. 1, in which a two over/two under braiding configuration is adopted, the second shift is equal to 2.

[0111] In particular, the value of the second shift S2 is related to the value of the first shift S1 according to the above formula (4).

[0112] For example, in the case of FIG. 1, in which the first shift S1 is equal to 8 and X is equal to ¼ (see formula (2) above), the second shift is equal to 2.

[0113] All the color marks 22 of the suture 10 form a regular pattern along the outer surface of the outer sheath 12, and they are in particular arranged along a number of ideal helixes running onto an external surface of the outer sheath 12 and all having a constant pitch that is equal to the first shift S1.

[0114] As detailed above, the suture 10 is formed by braiding the background yarns 14 and the at least two colored yarns 16, 18 of the outer sheath 12 on a known braiding machine.

[0115] The braiding machine is set so as to produce, in the outer sheath 12 of the suture 10, a “two over/two under” braiding configuration, which is schematically represented in FIG. 2. According to this configuration, each yarn alternately overlays two yarns before being superimposed by the following two yarns.

[0116] In particular, the two over/two under configuration provides that if one follows the path of a first reference yarn A (that might be, by way of example, the first yarn 16 of FIG. 1), it can be recognized that it is alternately overlaying two yarns B, C before being superimposed by the following two yarns D, E. Similarly, a second reference yarn A′ (that might be, by way of example, the second yarn 18 of FIG. 1) that is adjacent to the first reference yarn A is alternately overlaying two yarns C, F before being superimposed by the following two yarns E, G.

[0117] The regular arrangement of the color marks 22 of FIG. 1 along an ideal helix, outlined above, is in particular produced according to the setting of the braiding machine used and to the resulting braiding configuration shown in FIG. 2.

[0118] According to this configuration, an absolute value of the braiding angle of braided yarns of the suture 10 is comprised between 20° and 60°.

[0119] FIG. 3-4 schematically illustrate two possible distributions of the various yarns onto bobbins of the first set (Set 1) and of the second set (Set 2) of the braiding machine used, in order to manufacture sutures having two color marks according to different embodiments of the invention.

[0120] In FIG. 3-4, bobbin carriers of each set are shown in a line only to highlight the sequence of yarns loaded onto the bobbins of each set, but their actual spatial arrangement onto the braiding machine is substantially circular.

[0121] In both FIG. 3-4, Set 1 can be for example constituted by bobbin carriers rotating clockwise during the braiding operation, and Set 2 can be for example constituted by the bobbin carriers rotating counterclockwise during the braiding operation, but they might be inverted.

[0122] In the configuration of FIG. 3, adjacent bobbin carriers of Set 1 carry in a sequence first, second and third yarns 16, 18, 20 having a respective first, second and third color, and the remaining bobbin carriers of Set 1 carry background yarns 14, as well as all the bobbin carriers of Set 2.

[0123] The background color of the background yarns 14, the first color of the first yarn 16, and the second color of the second yarn 18, all different from one another, are respectively represented again by white, black and grey. The third color of the third yarn 20 is the same as the second color and is thus also represented as grey.

[0124] The sequence of first, second and third yarns 16, 18, 20 as loaded onto the bobbin carriers of Set 1 corresponds to the actual sequence (and corresponding “color code”) exposed by the color marks 22 obtained by braiding the suture 10 onto the braiding machine.

[0125] In particular, this configuration of the sets of bobbin carriers results in the color marks 22 of the suture 10 showed in FIG. 1.

[0126] As stated above, the suture 10 can comprise further colored yarns.

[0127] In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the suture 10 comprises a total of five colored yarns. Adjacent bobbin carriers of Set 1 carry the first, the second and the third yarns 16, 18, 20 and in addition a fourth and a fifth yarn 34, 36. The remaining bobbin carriers of Set 1 carry background yarns 14, as well as all the bobbin carriers of Set 2. The background yarns again have the same background color, represented as white.

[0128] The first and the fourth yarn 16, 34 have the same first color, represented as black, whereas the second, third and fifth yarns 18, 20 and 36 have the same second color, represented as grey, both differing from one another and from the background color. As shown, yarns having a same color are placed on adjacent bobbins and therefore, based on the colors outlined above, the eight bobbins of Set 1 carry in a sequence the first yarn 16, the fourth yarn 34, the second yarn 18, the third yarn 20 and the fifth yarn 36. This sequence corresponds to the “color code” exposed by the color marks resulting by braiding the suture onto the maypole braiding machine.

[0129] The color marks resulting from the bobbin configurations of FIGS. 3 and 4, advantageously present two distinct adjacent colored regions, each constituted by adjacent exposed portions of colored yarns having a same color, thereby being particularly easy to identify.

[0130] In embodiments not shown, further colored yarns up to a total of seven colored yarns can be added to increase the length of the color marks, provided that such pattern is and defines a directional that allows to discern opposite ends of the suture.

[0131] Similarly to FIGS. 3 and 4, in these embodiments the colored yarns are preferably either of the first or of the second color, and colored yarns of a same color are adjacent to each other, so that in the color patterns two distinct adjacent colored regions constituted by adjacent exposed portions of colored yarns of a same color.

[0132] By way of a non-limiting example, in actual sutures the background color can be white, the first color can be black, the second color can be blue, and the third color can be yellow.

[0133] Although suture threads have been exemplarily illustrated and described with particular reference to FIG. 1, the invention applies, mutatis mutandis, also to different types of suture such as flat sutures (e.g. suture tapes).