Patent ID: 7202326

Claim:
A glycolic acid copolymer comprising: (a) 80 to less than 95% by mole of glycolic acid monomer units, (b) 5.0 to 20.0% by mole of non-glycolic, hydroxycarboxylic acid monomer units, and (c) 0 to 0.10% by mole of diglycolic acid monomer units, said non-glycolic, hydroxycarboxylic acid monomer units (b) constituting a plurality of segments each independently consisting of at least one non-glycolic, hydroxycarboxylic acid monomer unit (b), wherein said segments have an average chain length of from 1.00 to 1.50 in terms of the average number of non-glycolic, hydroxycarboxylic acid monomer unit or units (b), the total of said components (a), (b) and (c) being 100% by mole, said glycolic acid copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of 50,000 or more.