Surgical Suture Package Manual Winding and Labeling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing surgical suture packages require expensive automatic apparatuses for winding sutures, leading to increased manufacturing costs and issues with friction and jamming during the pulling process, and often use adhesives for labeling which can be inconvenient.

Innovation Solution

A surgical suture package designed for manual winding without an automatic apparatus, featuring a main body with protruding bumps and cover members to secure the suture, reducing friction and jamming, and a label attachment method that eliminates the need for adhesives.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If an automatic apparatus is used to wind the suture, then the winding efficiency is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewinding efficiencyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The suture package is divided into a body portion and a lid portion that can be separately manufactured and then assembled. The body portion includes a groove structure that guides suture winding, allowing manual operation while maintaining organization. This segmentation enables simple manufacturing of individual parts that can be easily assembled without requiring complex automatic winding apparatus.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Volume of stationary object

If the suture is wound in a limited narrow space, then the package size is reduced, but the operation precision required increases and defect rate increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepackage sizeVSAvoidwinding operation precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The groove in the body portion is designed with specific dimensional characteristics including width, depth, and curvature radius that are optimized to guide the suture. The groove width is smaller than the suture diameter in certain sections to prevent over-winding, while the overall groove dimensions accommodate the suture coil. This dimensional design allows manual winding in a compact space without requiring high precision operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Device complexity

If the package is configured as a two-piece type with body portion and lid portion, then the structure is simple, but friction and jamming occur in the joint portion during suture pulling

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepackage structureVSAvoidsuture pulling smoothness
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The groove structure is pre-formed in the body portion before the suture is wound. The groove includes a guiding section that directs the suture from the opening toward the winding space, and the lid portion is designed with corresponding structural features that align with the groove. This preliminary structural preparation ensures smooth suture passage through the joint portion between body and lid, preventing friction and jamming during the pulling operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If adhesive is used to fix the label, then the label attachment is secure, but the process becomes inconvenient and requires additional materials

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelabel attachment securityVSAvoidlabeling process convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The chemical bonding method (adhesive) is replaced with a mechanical interlocking method. The label is fixed by inserting its edge into a dedicated slot structure formed in the package. This slot provides physical retention through friction and geometric constraint, eliminating the need for adhesive materials and simplifying the labeling process while maintaining secure attachment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP3527145B1Surgical suture package
Publication Date: 2023.05.03 SM ENG CO LTD
  • EP3527145B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3527145B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(b)
  • EP3527145B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a surgical suture package. The surgical suture package includes: a main body including a base plate, an outer wall portion, and an inner wall portion providing a portion accommodating a suture; a fixing clip serving to fasten a suture needle coupled to an end of the suture; multiple protruding bumps ; and multiple cover members provided on an upper portion of the inner wall portion, and configured to cover above the suture in a manner being bent outward and being hooked on lower surfaces of the protruding bumps to keep being bent such that the suture accommodated in the accommodating portion is prevented from being released, wherein a label is provided on an upper part of the main body to provide product information including a product name and is fastened by inserting an edge thereof between the protruding bumps and the cover members.