Reel Wound with Surgical Suture

1,189,824. Reel-suture assembly. AMERICAN CYANAMID CO. 22 May, 1967 [23 June, 1966], No. 23725/67. Heading A5R. [Also in Division B8] A reel-suture assembly comprises a suture 30 wound on a reel 21 provided with a line of weakness 24, notches 22, 23 and suture end holding slits 29. On dividing the reel across the line of weakness and separating portions 25 and 26, the suture is unwound without entanglement. Portions 25 and 26 may have hinged panels 32, 33 which may be folded back to protect the rear face of the suture assembly. In a typical modification, Fig. 5 (not shown), hinged panels are provided, which are capable of being folded so as to protect both faces of the reel-suture assembly. The sutures may be made of collagen, silk, cotton, synthetic polymers, or metal and may have eyed or eyeless needles attached to their ends. The reel may be made of paper, plastics, wood fibre board, or a laminate having an inner absorbent layer. The reel-suture assembly may be placed in one or more envelopes e.g. of plastics, plastics laminate, or plastics-metal foil laminate construction. The envelope surrounding the suture assembly may contain conditioning and sterilizing liquids, e.g. aqueous alcohol with or without dissolved ethylene oxide or propylene oxide. The reel may be made from two pieces of paper which are adhered together with a glue line that will fracture readily.