Suture package

Claim 1

A STERILIZED COILED SUTURE AND PACKAGE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A SINGLE PLIABLE SHEET FOLDED ALONG A LINE FORMING TWO FLAT ADJACENT SIDE PORTIONS OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM SIZE IN WHICH THE FLAT SIDES ARE IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL PLANES, AND HAVING MEANS HOLDING THE EDGES OF SAID FOLDED SHEET OPPOSITE THE FOLDED EDGE IN AD JACENT RELATIONSHIP; (B) EACH FLAT SIDE PORTION HAVING A CIRCULAR RECESS, THE RECESSES IN ONE SIDE PORTION BEING OPPOSITE THE RECESS IN THE OTHER SIDE PORTION, AND EACH RECESS EXTENDING TOWARD THE OUTSIDE OF THE RESPECTIVE FLAT SIDE IN WHICH EACH IS FORMED FOR RECEIVING THE COILED SUTURE THEREBETWEEN; (C) EACH FLAT SIDE HAVING A SLIT EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM ITS OUTER EDGE OPPOSITE THE FOLD LIE FROM SPACED ADJACENT POINTS, TE SLITS EXTENDING INTO THE RECESSED AREA IN THE RESPECTIVE SIDE PORTIONS CONTAINING THE SUTURE HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SUTURE RETAINED, ONE IN EACH OF THE TOW SLITS FORMED IN THE TWO SIDE PORTIONS; (D) SAID HOLDING MEANS COMPRISING AN ADHESIVE BEING AT THE EDGE OF THE PACKAGE ADJACENT THE OUTER END OF THE SLITS AND POSITIONED OUTSIDE THE AREA LYING BETWEEN THE TWO SLITS; (E) AN HERMETICALLY SEALED TRANSPARENT CLOSURE ENVELOPE EXTENDING ABOUT THE SUTURE AND PACKAGE FOR MAINTAINING THE SAME IN A SANITARY AND STERILIZED STATE; WHEREBY, THE SUTURE MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE SUTURE PACKAGE AFTER ITS REMOVAL FROM THE ENVELOPE BY EXTENDING THE SUTURE IN A STRAIGHT AND TAUT LINE ALLOWING THE SUTURE TO MOVE THROUGH THE SLITS AND OT THROUGH THE OUTER ENDS THEREOF.