Patent ID: 8562644

Claim:
A surgical suture comprising: a suture shaft extending longitudinally along a length of said suture between a first end and a second end and comprised of a single monofilament, and having a plurality of barbs extending outwardly therefrom from a base to a distal tip, and having a wider base than the distal tip, wherein when the suture is not exposed to external forces, each of the plurality of barbs are non-symmetrical about a primary plane that extends along the length of the suture and bisects an entire length between the base and the distal tip for each of the plurality of barbs, and a center of said shaft, wherein each of the plurality of barbs has a first portion on a first side of the primary plane and a second portion on a second side of the primary plane, and wherein when the suture is being drawn through tissue by the first end thereof, at least one of the distal tips of the plurality of barbs moves out of the primary plane, wherein the suture shaft and plurality of barbs are integrally formed from a single, uniform, biocompatible material, and wherein the suture is configured for use as a surgical suture to approximate tissue.