Patent ID: 8747436

Claim:
A surgical suture comprising: a monofilament core extending along a length thereof between a first end and a second end; a plurality of sets of first and second projections extending outwardly from the core in a manner such that each set is longitudinally aligned along the length of the core, and positioned at different points along said length and between the first and second ends thereof, wherein the first projections extend outwardly from the core to a free distal end so as to point in a direction toward the first end of the suture and the second projections extend outwardly from the core to a free distal end so as to point in a direction toward the second end of the suture, and wherein the first projections extend outwardly from the core by a greater distance than the second projections, have an outer periphery greater than an outer periphery of the second projections and that substantially shields the outer periphery of the second projection when viewed along a longitudinal axis of the core, and are adapted to bend toward the second projections to overlap and sufficiently cover at least a distal portion of the respective second projections when the suture is drawn through tissue by the second end so as to substantially prevent the second projections from engaging tissue when drawn through said tissue.