Patent ID: 6838493

Claim:
A device comprising a biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate polymer composition that has a controlled degradation rate, under physiological conditions, wherein the average molecular mass loss of the polymer decreases 20% to 50% over a ten week time period in vivo or wherein the percent mass loss is greater than 5% over a six week period in vivo, wherein the degradation rate of the polyhydroxyalkanoate polymer is manipulated through addition of components to the polymeric composition, selection of the chemical composition, molecular weight, processing conditions, or form of the composition, wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate polymer has a weight average molecular weight of between 10,000 and 10,000,000 Daltons, and wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of sutures, suture fasteners, meniscus repair devices, rivets, tacks, staples, screws, bone plates and bone plating systems, surgical mesh, repair patches, slings, cardiovascular patches, orthopedic pins, adhesion barriers, stents, guided tissue repair/regeneration devices, articular cartilage repair devices, nerve guides, tendon repair devices, atrial septal defect repair devices, pericardial patches, bulking and filling agents, vein valves, bone marrow scaffolds, meniscus regeneration devices, ligament and tendon grafts, ocular cell implants, spinal fusion cages, skin substitutes, dural substitutes, bone graft substitutes, bone dowels, wound dressings, and hemostats.