US1962900A - Suture package - Google Patents

Description

B. F. HIRSCH SUTURE PACKAGE Filed Aug. 27, 1931 June 12,

Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES SUT'URE PACKAGE Benjamin F. Hirsch, Hollis, N. Y., assignor to Davis & Geck, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August27,

1931, Serial No. 559,728

7 Claims. (Cl. 20663.3)

The present invention relates to a package containing some material or article such as a surgical suture or ligature, or dressing of a character which must be maintained in a sterile condition 3 up to the time of use.

The principal object of the invention is to provide such a package which will not only insure the maintenance 'of the articles sterility but which will also permit the user to actually see the article therein and/or some designation indicating the character thereof.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a wrapping or envelope for an article, the character of the envelope being such that it 5 may be readily opened and the article removed therefrom without destruction, mutilation or contamination of the contained article.

Another important object of the invention comprises the provision of a package which will contain a weight where the article contained therein is not of appreciable weight, so as to insure submergence of the article and package in a sterilizing liquid.

In packaging surgical sutures, ligatures or the like, it is customary to wrap the'same in an envelope of the letter type having a gummed flap which is sealed in the usual manner. Such a package is objectionable principallyfor the reason that the sterility of the contents cannot be 0 maintained due to the inefficient sealing. which an ordinary envelope provides. Another objection to this type of wrapper is that theenvelope may become accidentally torn, with consequent infection. of the contained article, which makes it.

. worthless, or the suture may even become in: fected in the opening of the envelope itself just prior to use.

It has been proposed to enclose the envelope as above described within a second envelope. Not only does the use of this second envelope very inefiectively remedy the insecure sterility of the suture or the like, but infection of the suture may a take place when the outer envelope isopened due to the fact that it is difficult, if not impossible, 5 to tear open the outer envelope without also mutilating the inner envelope.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the invention to overcome all of the above defects.

In practicing the invention in one of its forms, I provide a transparent or translucent envelope, preferably of a seamless tubular nature, within which the surgical suture or other object is inserted and the ends of the tubular envelope sealed asby means of a strip of material folded over the ends and gummed or otherwise secured in that destroy the Cellophane, or sterility may be secured by the application of the requisite amount ko'f dry heat. There is thus produced a package containing a sterile envelope which in turn contains a sterile article. Even if the outer envelope is accidentally torn, the inner envelope will effectively maintain the sterility of the article. The fact that both envelopes are made of seamless tubing reduces the number of accidentally openable seams to a minimum and eliminates the ordinary longitudinal gummed'seams'present in the usual letter type of envelope, which, of course, would become loosened upon application of the sterilizing heat either wet or dry.

As a modified form of theinvention, I may distinctively color the ends or edges of the inner envelope so as to make them discernible through the outer envelope. This effectively makes possible the opening of the outer envelope by tearing or clipping without in any way harming or destroying the inner envelope, the outline of which is clearly discernible to the nurse or other operator. The nurse, for instance, having torn or clipped one end of the outer envelope, the inner envelope is still maintained in a sterile condition and, this envelope may be partially shaken from the opened outer envelope and the doctor with his sterile gloved fingers may then grasp the projecting end of the inner envelope and remove from it the suture, ligature or the like. His hands being sterile, the article is not infected when he in turn tears or clips the end from the inner envelope and removes the article therefrom.

In still another modified form of the invention, I may effectively seal the edges of either the inner or outer envelopes or both as the case may be, with a strip of metal folded over upon itself, and pinching therebetween the open ends of the envelopes. Not only will these metallic ends of the inner envelope be distinctly discernible to the operator through the outer envelope but they also add the requisite weight to the package to insure its sinking or submergence in a sterilizing liquid which might not otherwise be the case, due either to the fact that the surgical dressing or suture is comparatively light in weight, or that either or both envelopes my contain buoyant air.

Any or all of the above envelopes may be dipped into a waterproof paste or sealing lacquer or thelike, for if this material is applied thereto it not only serves. to increase the degree of waterproofness and imperviousness of the wrapper, but at the same time insures efiective sealing of the ends thereof.

' The invention further consists in the novel arrangement, combination. and construction of parts more fully hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view invention.

Fig72 is a sectional view along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view showing 'the method of removal of the inner envelope from the outer one.

.F g. 4 is an enlarged side view of a package partly broken away, showing the metal end sealing means.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a package to which a lacquer or similarsealing fluid has been applied to form an integral water-proof coating thereon.

Referring now with particularity to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, an article such as a surgical suture, ligature, dressing or the like is shown in coil form at .1, enclosed within an inner envelope 2. This envelopeis preferably of a suitable type of moisture-proof Cellophane and may be in tubular form, the ends of which are sealed as by means of a Cellophane strip 3 folded upon itselfand secured as by means of a Cellophane binder to the open tubular ends of the envelope 2.

- he inner envelope 2 with its suture 1 is likewise enclosed within an outer envelope 4 of larger dimensions. This outer envelope is also provided with a binding strip 5 sealing the ends thereof.

The package as above described may either be sterilized by submerging the same in a sterilizing liquid or by the application of the requisite amount of heat.

Both of the envelopes being of transparent or translucent Cellophane, enables the nurseor doctor to actually view the suture within the inner envelope and/or a. designating tag 6 associated therewith, which indicates.the character, kind, quality or size of the suture or other en-- closed article. w The fact that two sterile envelopes are used insures the mainten'ance of the suture in a sterile condition even though the outer envelope is accidentally broken.

In order to prevent the accidental tearing or cutting of the inner envelope 2 during the opening of the outer envelope 4, I prefer to distinctively color the ends 3 of the inner envelope in such a manner as to permit the same to be clearly discernible through the walls of the outer envelope. Thus, in opening the outer envelope, the

of a package embodying the periphery or ends of the inner envelope may be seen and the end of the outer envelope torn or clipped without mutilation of the inner envelope. The end of the outer envelope having been opened, the nurse may shake the inner envelope lout of the outer envelope to the point where it may be grasped by the doctor, as shown in Fig. 3. The doctor being provided withsterile gloves, takes in his hand a package which is sterile both inside and out. This insures the deliveryof a sterile article by opening the envelope 2.

In some instances it may be desirable to seal the ends of either or both envelopes by means of a metallic'strip, shown in Fig. 4 at 7 as being folded first upon the open ends of the envelope and then upon itself and crimped-in that position. Not only does this form of end seal add enough weight to the package to insure its sinking in a sterilizing fluid and thus being completely sterilized, but this method of sealing serves the same purpose as distinctively coloring the ends, particularly of the inner envelope, inasmuch as the metal ends are clearly discernible through the outer envelope.

This metallic end seal is particularly advantageous in this package combination as it may be used to tear the envelope end from the body. Thus the necessity forusing scissors is avoided.

In all cases above, the completed package may then be dipped into or have applied thereto, a paste, lacquer or suitable water-proof material to insure the imperviousness of the package, as well as to form on the outside thereof an integral sealing film. In case the end seals 3 or 7 are imperfectly made, the lacquer will remedy this defect and insure the delivery of a sterile article.

I claim:

1. In combination, a package comprising a 'sterile article, a sterile germ-tight envelope enclosing the same, and a second germ-tight envelope enclosing the first envelope, and a weight associated with the package to insure its sinking or'submergence in a sterilizing fluid.

2. In combination, a package comprising a sterile article, a sterile germ-tight envelope enclosing the same, and a'second germ-tight envelope enclosing the first envelope and a weight attached to the first envelope to insure its sinking or submergence in asterilizing fluid.

3. In combination, a package comprising a sterile article, a sterile germ-tight envelope enclosing'the same, and. a second germ tight envelope enclosing the first envelope,'the first envelope having a metallic end discernible through the walls of the second envelope the said metallic end serving to assist in making the end of the first envelope to which it is attached discernible through the walls of the second envelope and also serving to assist in causing the package to. sink on submerge in a sterilizing fluid.

4. In combination, a package comprising a sterile article, a sterile germ-tight envelope en- I closing the same, and a second germ-tight envelope enclosing the first envelope, one of said envelopes comprising tubular material, and a metallic sheet crimped over the open ends thereof to seal the same.

5. In combination, a package comprising a sterile article,a sterile germ-tight envelope enclosing the same, and a second germ-tight envelope enclosing the first envelope, one of said envelopes comprising tubular material, and a metallic sheet crimped over the open ends thereof to seal the same, and a coating of lacquer completely covering the second envelope as an integral film.

6. In combination, a package comprising a sterile articleJ a sterile germ-tight envelope enclosing the same, and a second germ-tight en-' velope enclosing the firstenvelope, each envelope consisting of a length of seamless tubing, the ends of which are sealed by a folded over sheet of material, the sealed ends of the first or inner envelope being distinctively marked and dis- 7, In combination, a package comprising a sterile article, a sterile germ-tightenvelope enclosing the same, and'a second germ-tight envelope enclosing the first envelope, each envelope consisting of a length of seamless tubing, the ends of which are sealed by a folded over sheet material, the sealed ends of the first or inner

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