Suture thread products

Abstract

There is provided a product comprising a suture thread which, prior to being used to form a surgical suture, is in a stressed state which gives the suture thread a tendency to undergo lengthwise viscoelastic contraction. The suture thread undergoes viscoelastic contraction when in use as a surgical suture and this may promote wound healing to a greater extent than a conventional suture thread which does not undergo viscoelastic contraction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a product comprising a suture thread, the method comprising:
 providing a thread having a length;   applying to the thread a stressed state which gives the thread a tendency to undergo lengthwise viscoelastic contraction; and   after said application of the stressed state, engaging at least part of the length of the thread with a structure to form an engaged suture thread, said engagement with the structure maintaining the thread in a stressed state by resisting lengthwise viscoelastic contraction of the thread by application of a force to the thread, the structure being disengageable from the thread to allow lengthwise viscoelastic contraction of the thread when it is desired to use the suture to form a surgical suture.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said engaging comprises winding said at least part of the length of the thread around a portion of the structure and securing two ends of said at least part of the length of the thread to the structure. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the engaged thread is packed in a package wherein the package is suitable for maintaining sterility of the thread. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  1 , wherein said engaging comprises engaging part of the length of the thread with the structure and the thread is cut to form said part of the length after said application of the stressed state. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  1 , further comprising sterilizing the thread. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  1 , wherein said application of said stressed state comprises applying a tensile force to the thread so that the thread undergoes lengthwise viscoelastic creep. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein said application of said stressed state further comprises, after the thread has undergone said viscoelastic creep, releasing the tensile force and allowing the thread to undergo elastic contraction. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising refrigerating the thread in a package. 
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing a suture thread, the method comprising:
 configuring a thread to have a stressed state of lengthwise viscoelastic contraction;   engaging at least part of a length of the thread with a structure, said engagement with the structure substantially maintaining the thread in the stressed state by resisting lengthwise viscoelastic contraction of the suture thread; and   disengaging the structure from the thread to allow lengthwise viscoelastic contraction of the suture thread to use the thread to form a surgical suture.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the engaging comprises winding the at least part of the length of the thread around a portion of the structure. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising securing at least one end of the at least part of the length of the thread to the structure. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the engaging comprises cutting the thread to form the part of the length while the thread is in the stressed state. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising sterilizing the thread. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising packing the engaged thread in a package. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising cooling the package. 
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing a suture thread, the method comprising:
 applying a tensile force to a thread so that the thread undergoes lengthwise viscoelastic creep;   allowing the thread to undergo elastic contraction resulting in the thread being in a stressed state; and   engaging at least part of the thread with a structure so as to substantially maintain the thread in the stressed state until the structure is disengaged from the thread.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the engaging comprises winding at least a part of the thread around a portion of the structure and securing at least one end of the thread to the structure.