Patent Publication Number: US-2004059357-A1

Title: Sternum suture band

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] This invention relates to a material for sternum suture utilized during cardiac surgery.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art  
       [0004] A common method when conducting suture on sternum is, when the sternum is pierced utilizing needle-attached wires or a gimlets, and the suture is fastened by twisting single wires.  
       [0005] In such cases, when the twisting of the wire is conducted too firmly, the wire breaks, and when the twisting strength is too weak, then the fixing of the sternum becomes difficult. Fastening the sternum is the biggest task at the last point of a cardiac surgery, and the fastening procedure requires much force. Also such a procedure leaves metal foreign objects inside the body. This causes halation when photographing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).  
       SUMMARY OF THIS INVENTION  
       [0006] To solve the above issues, this invention proposes a sternum suture band, wherein, a needle to pierce through the sternum is attached to one end of a band made of resin, the center part of the band is in a sash form, and one side of the sash has a multiple number of serial projection to prevent untwining. The other end of the sash is formed into a box form, through which the needle that pierced through the sternum passes, and the lower side of the upper part of the inside of the box has receptors for the projections for prevention of untwining, and thus the sternum is fastened gradually and then fixed.  
       [0007] This sternum suture band enables a suture procedure conducted with a dull-end needle, not to directly pierce through the sternum but to conduct suture along the costae without damaging internal thoracic artery and other blood vessels.  
       [0008] This sternum suture band is made of material which is absorbed inside the body, through mechanisms of hydrolysis or decomposition by enzymes.  
       [0009] This sternum suture band functions to fasten the sternum when this band is fastened, wherein the sternum suture band is inserted from the insertion guide at one end, the front side of the insertion guide is closely adhered to the box part, and when the slide grip is pulled, a holding gear holds one end of the sternum suture band, fastening the sternum to the foreside, and when the tension exceeds the pulling intensity of the band, the sternum suture band is automatically cut off.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0010] Hereafter, a description of the preferred embodiments of this invention is made in reference to drawings. FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of this invention according to claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein a dull-end needle  2  is attached on one end of the band to pierce through the sternum, the center part of the band  1  is in a sash form, one side of the sash has a multiple number of serial projections to prevent the wire from untwining. The other end of the band is in a box form  3 , and the needle that pierced through the sternum passes through this box  3 , the lower part of the upper portion of the inside of this box has receptors to receive the untwining-prevention projections, and thus the sternum is fastened gradually and then fixed. The needle is made of stainless steel, and the preferred material for the band and the solid body mould box is polyethylene, polypropylene or other such bio-adaptable material. It is also effective to utilize polyglycol acid, poly lactic acid, polydioxanone and other such bio-absorbable material.  
       [0011]FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of this invention according to claim 4, of a fastening device while fastening the sternum suture band. The structure of the sternum suture band is made so that a sternum suture band is inserted from the insertion guide  5  at one end, the front side of the insertion guide is adhered closely with box part  3 , and when the slide grip  10  is pulled, the hold gear  6  holds one end of the sternum suture band, pulls in towards the foreside to fasten the sternum, and when the tension exceeds the pulling intensity of the sternum suture band, the sternum suture band is automatically cut off.  
       [0012] As explained above, this invention is bio-adaptability, enabling easy and firm suture of the sternum, and as this is made of resin, no halation occurs when photographing with Magnetic Resonance Imaging.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0013]FIG. 1 is an explanatory drawing of one embodiment of a sternum suture band.  
     [0014]FIG. 2 is an explanatory drawing of an embodiment of a fastening device utilizing a sternum suture band.