Patent ID: 8348973

Claim:
A method of releasing a bioactive agent from a suture comprising: providing a suture in a temporary shape, the suture comprising: an elongated body; a plurality of barbs extending from the elongated body and forming a barb angle between an inner surface of the barbs and an outer surface of the elongated body, at least a portion of the plurality of barbs being made from a shape memory polymer having a temporary shape in which the barbs are compressed against the elongated body; and an effective amount of a bioactive agent disposed within the barb angles formed between the inner surface of the barbs and the outer surface of the elongated body; and placing the suture into tissue such that the barbs recover from the temporary shape into a permanent shape in which the barbs extend outwardly and away from the elongated body, thereby releasing the bioactive agent from the barb angles and into the tissue.