US1371668A - Suture-package - Google Patents

Description

C. T. DAVIS.

SUTURE PACKAGE. APPLICATION FILED Nov.2s. 1917.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921-.

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PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. DAVIS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SUTUBE-PACKAGE.

Spccl flcatlon of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

Application filed November 28, 1917. Serial No. 204,332.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. Davis, a citizen of the United States, res1d1n at Brooklyn in the county of Kings and tate of New ork, have invented new and useful Improvements in Suture-Packages, of wh ch the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the a 1t of packaging sutures or the like, pertalmng more particularly to the production of a suture package .or unit in which the suture is maintained at maximum .efiiciency within the package, and the package is of such form as to provide. for ready preparatlon for use While reducing liability of suture contamination to a minimum.

Suture packages, as now generally produced for commercial purposes, are in the formof a glass tube',sealed at its opposite ends, and generally having a weakened l ne to prov1de for breakage. The tube contains a preserving fluid into which the suture extends, the

latter generally being more or less coiled, a simple arrangement hav ng the suture wound and the coil flattened-generally producing a twist-to permit ready insertion into the tube. In practice, the tube is generally twice the length of the inserted coil,

this length being employed to permit the vaporization or other treatment to be. had after the tube has been scaled and before 1t is broken to expose the suture.

. Packages of this type have several objectionable features heretofore considered unavoidable. For instance, the tubes are generally of uniform diameter with the weakened line intermediate the ends of the tube.

' This permits the containedsuture shifting itspositionlengthwise, the suture oftentimes extending across such hne. If the tube be broken on such line while the suture is in such position, suture contamination is This can be partially obviated by violently shaking the tube before breaking to shift the suture toward its proper end, but this is more or less dlfficult dueQto the liquid contents and the tendency of the suture to stick to the tube surface. Hence, this precaution is oftentimes omitted, especiallyon occasions where haste. is essential, or through inexperience on the part of the nurse.

Another feature is the practical requirement that the package production be by hand, due somewhat to the contamer forto suspicion for this reason.

mation. Where a label is introduced, it

passes into the tube with the suture or is.

.that the suture be not thrown out of the tube or contaminated by contact with foreign substances. The tube must be capable of ready breaking with minimum liability of splintering, so that thin stock is used. making the container fragile in character, materially increasing liability of breakage during transit or when undergoing heat treatment previous to placing the suture in service.

The prior practice of producing packages practically requires hand or manual treatment, providing for high cost of manufac ture due to low capacity of production.

The present invention is designed to overcome these and other objectionable features by employing a container which will permit the various sterilization and preservation treatments to be had without liability of contamination; which will prevent shifting of the suture over the breaking line; which will permit ready introduction of suture and label, ifused; which will permit of the use of heavier stock and shorter length; and which will permit many of the packaging manipulations to be provided mechanically, tending to decrease cost of manufacture.

To these and other ends,the nature of which will be readily understood as the invention is hereinafter disclosed, said invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more'particularly pointed out Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a tube.

course, objectionab e Fig. 3 is an elevationof the completed package.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same;

' Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the package broken to expose the suture.

As shown in Fig. 1, the tube of the commercial type of suture package is of equal diameter throughout its length, permitting the tube to be sealed at one-end prior to insertion of the contents, the suture, label and preserving solution being inserted throu h the open end. The tube 10 is generally 0 a length ap roximately twice the length of the suture C01 and is generally provided with a weakened line 11 to tend to orce breakage at a predetermined point. Inasmuch as the strength of such tube against breakage is that provided by the section at the weakened line, the tube section is made thin in order to reduce the variation in thickness as far as possible and yet provide for the forced location of the break under pressure. As a result, the packa e requires carefulhandling in transit and uring subsequent treatment. The uniform diameter of the tube of Fig.

1 permits ready insertion of the suture 12 and label 13, but practically requires that these be inserted together in order that the label will be more or .less supported in position by the suture. Where the label is inserted after the suture, shifting movements of the latter'm'ay tend to double or otherwise affect the ap earance of the label. By locating the'labei on the suture coil in advance, the relative movements tending to double or crease the label are more or less eliminated reducin liability of sus icion against the (iuality of the package. his does not total y avoid this possibility, since the twist action of the coil ma affect the label appearance. However, t c more serious factor in this respect is the necessityl for introducing the suture and label by and, not only makin contamination possible during handling, ut increasing the cost by reason of low capacity and labor cost.

An additional factor isthe difliculty of treating the suture, especially where the] treatment is of the sta e type. Any manipulation which woulf tend to force the suture out of the ope'ii end of the tube, is of so that the cost factor is increased by the necessity of careful handling during this operation.

The more serious factor of shifting of the suture over the breaking line, heretofore referred to, is of prime importance. Contamination is practicallyinevitable if the coil be permitted to remain in this position when the break is had. v

The present invention meets these objectionable features by changing the configuration of. the container in such manner that the two parts of the container on opposite sides of the weakened line are practically individual compartments, although in 'open communication to permit vapor expansion, etc. during the heat treatment laced on the package preliminary, to brea g on the weakened l-ine, thus avoiding liability of shattering-the container during such treat-' ment.

a The compartment formation is provided by producing a neck-like configuration ad- 'acent to or within which the weakened line is located, a configuration which, when the tube is broken on such line, will give the open end of one or both sections he appearance of a mouth or neck differing in configuration or in size or area from that of' the normal cross-section of the tube without, however, so closing themouth or neck as to prevent ready removal of the contents of the section or compartment.

This result can be obtained in different ways, the embodiment shown in the drawings producing the result. by forming an annular depression 14 withln which the weakened line is located, the depression being of suitable length so as to provide a contracted neck portion to each section. Obviously, other configurations may be employed. This neck-forming configuration is preferably provided in advance of the packaging operation, the container, in form to begin suc operation being illustrated in Fig. 2, one end of the tube being sealed, the

other open. The depression 14 is preferably coil to be passed therethrough. This arrangement permits thecoil to be readily inserted by the use of a suitable instrument. i

tweezers, for instancethus r bilit of contamination.

T e suture coil is thus located in one of the container compartments, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the suture is firmly retained in its compartment against madvertent displacement, even when the conducing liatainer is roughly handled, by cooperation of the neck and the form of the elongated coil, which has a considerable expansive tendency due to the nature of the suture and the manner in which it is coiled, and is usually placed under appreciable compression within its compartment. Hence, suture treatment can be had within the open tube, and, if desired, the container may be placed in a suitable centrifugal apparatus to free the suture and container from solution, without affecting the position of the suture. The preservin solution can be readily placed in positlon through a simple filling operation.

If a label is to be inserted it is placed in the opposite compartment, the neck retaining it in the compartment. Owing to the fact that the insertion of the label is not complicated by the presence of the suture, or by the ossibilit of suture movements into the la el-containing compartment, no material care is required and label insertion can be had by machine.

After label insertion, the open end of the tube is sealed, thus completing the package. Since no shifting of suture or label across the weakened line can take place in the completed package, the length of the label-receiving compartment may be decreased, thus shortening the length of the tube and package, permitting decrease in size of the transporting carrier.- The length. of the con-' tainer is thus made independent of the necessity for providing a space on either side of the weakened line capable of receiving the suture, the length being sufficient to permit vaporization action without producing undue pressure on the tube, where heat treatment is had prior to breaking the container.

Since the contracted neck tends to aid in restricting the point, of fracture when breaking the container on the weakened line, the tube may be of heavier stock, thus decreasing liability of breaking the container during transit or undergoing heat treatment.

The appearance of the package is not affected by manipulation of the package, since the label and suture do not come into contact.

The important factor of non-contamination at time of breaking of the package is had by reason of the fact that the suture is originally placed at one side of the weakened line and is retained in such portion of the container.

One end of the suture coil lies in proximity to the neck so that when the tube is broken, the surgeon or nurse can easily withdraw the suture by the use of tweezers or other instruments.

Heat treatment of the package can be had readily produced in a tube of uniform crosssection, sealing of the tube ends being had in any well-known way.

From the above it will be understood that the packaging operation can be provided with rapidity and efficienc and at the same time with minimum liability of contamination of the suture, thus enabling material saving in the cost of production; the pack-.

age is of a type permitting transportation and heat treatment with less likelihood of damage; and is of such character as to permit proper rupturing into sections without liability of contamination, certainty being had that the suture will be retained in the compartment of its section, after rupture is had, while permitting ready removal from such section when needed.

While I have herein shown and described one wayin which the invention may be carried into effect, it will be readily understood that changes or modifications therein may be found desirable or necessary to meet the exigencies of use, and I desire to be understood as reserving the right to make any and all such changes as may be found necessary or desirable, in so far as the same may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in'the accompanying claims.

While I have shown the label as located in a different com artment from that in which the suture coil is located, an arrangement which is preferable as above indicated, it is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited in this respect, since the label may be placed in the same compartment with the suture coil, since the two elements may have the relationship shown in Fig. 1 while within the suture-receiving com artment.

aving thus described my invention what I claim'as new, is:

1. A suture package comprising a tube sealed at the ends and having'a constricted portion intermediate the ends forming two connected tube com artments, and a suture in the form of an e ongated coil retained in one of the compartments by cooperation of the constricted portion and form of the coil.

2. A suture package comprising a tube sealed at the ends and having a constricted portion intermediate the ends forming two connected tube'compartments, and a suture in the form of an elongated coil retained in one of the compartments by coiiperation of the constricted ortion and form of the coil, the suture coil aving an end projecting in the vicinit of the constricted tube portion so that it is readily accessible for grasping and withdrawal of the suture when the tube is ,broken at the constricted portion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES T. DAVIS.

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