Patent ID: 8852232

Claim:
A wound-closure device comprising: a strand of monofilament suture, having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis, a surface and a diameter (D), having a minimum knot pull strength requirement (S); a plurality of angled cuts present in the surface of the strand and spaced along the strand; each angled cut giving rise to a tissue-retaining element; the plurality of angled cuts defining a plurality of tissue-retaining elements spaced along the strand; the plurality of tissue-retaining elements being adapted to permit movement of the strand through tissue in a direction of the first end and resist movement of the strand through tissue in an opposite direction; each tissue-retaining element having a tip separated from the strand and a base connected to the strand, and further having an underside which attaches the tissue-retaining element to the strand along a concave arcuate line; each tissue-retaining element having a length no less than about 0.8 diameters (0.8*D), measured tip-to-base along the longitudinal axis; the tissue-retaining elements being spaced at a distance no larger than two diameters (2*D), measured tip-to-tip along the longitudinal axis; and the wound-closure device having a tensile strength no less than about 80% of the USP minimum knot pull strength requirement (S) for monofilament suture of the diameter (D).