Patent ID: 7468068

Claim:
A suture comprising: a singular, uninterrupted flexible, elongate polymeric thread structure having first and second ends; a plurality of subcutaneous, tissue-engaging elements for cosmetic surgery, aesthetic surgery and soft tissue fixation, consisting of frusto-conical shapes each defining an enlarged hollow interior, each shape defining a tapered lumen including a forward bore therethrough at a narrow end of the frusto-conical shape, the tapered lumen enlarging outwardly toward a broader end of the frusto-conical shape, said tissue-engaging elements received upon said elongate flexible polymeric thread structure and, snugly fitted along the thread; and, a plurality of protrusions formed in said polymeric thread structure; each protrusion larger than said bore, said protrusions maintaining said tissue-engaging elements in a serial arrangement on said elongate, flexible, polymeric thread structure, the frusto-conical shape of the tissue-engaging elements together with the open character of the broader end and interior of the hollow shape cooperating to provide a substantial removable tissue-engaging property for the tissue-engaging elements.