Surgical suture abstract
A packaging for surgical suture material has a stuck-on label (3).
The label (3) has a main section (10) provided on the back with
contact adhesive, and a transfer part (12) which is punched out
of the main section (10) and the back of which, likewise provided
with contact adhesive, is stuck onto a first protective paper. The
edge region of the first protective paper extends beyond the edge
(14) of the transfer part (12) and is stuck by means of the contact
adhesive to the back of the main section (10). The surface area
of the first protective paper is smaller than that of the label
(3).
Surgical suture claims
We claim:
1. Packaging for surgical suture material, having a stuck-on label
(3), wherein the label (3) comprises a main section (10) provided
on the back with contact adhesive, and a transfer part (12) which
is punched out of the main section (10) and the back of the transfer
part (12) is provided with contact adhesive, which is stuck onto
a first protective paper (16), the edge region (18) of which extends
beyond the edge (14) of the transfer part (12) and is stuck by means
of the contact adhesive to the back of the main section (10), the
surface of the first protective paper (16) being smaller than that
of the label (3) and, wherein
in an edge zone (20) of the transfer part (12), the contact adhesive
on the back of the transfer part (12) is covered by a covering (22),
and wherein
the covering (22) is punched out of the first protective paper
(16), and wherein
the transfer part (12) is provided on the front with at least one
of a bar code (26) and an uncoded test and wherein
the packaging (1) contains a sterile inner packaging with surgical
suture material.
2. Use of a label for sticking onto a packaging for surgical suture
material, comprising providing a label having a main section (10)
provided on the back with contact adhesive, and a transfer part
(12) which is punched out of the main section (10) and the back
of the transfer part (12) is provided with contact adhesive, which
is stuck onto a first protective paper (16), the edge region (18)
of which extends beyond the edge (14) of the transfer part (12)
and is stuck by means of the contact adhesive to the back of the
main section (10), the surface area of the first protective paper
(16) being smaller than that of the label (3), and the contact adhesive
not covered by the first protective paper (16) on the back of the
main section (10) being covered by a second protective paper (30)
to be removed prior to sticking onto a packaging for surgical suture
material wherein,
in an edge zone (20) of the transfer part (12), the contact adhesive
on the back of the transfer part (12) is covered by a covering (22),
and wherein
the covering (22) is punched out of the first protective paper
(16), and wherein
a plurality of similar labels (3) are arranged next to one another,
the respective second protective papers (30) being continuous, and
wherein
information is printed on labels (3) by means of a printer, during
the production process, for sticking onto the packaging for surgical
suture material (1).
Surgical suture description
The invention relates to a packaging for surgical suture material
according to the preamble of Claim 1.
The label stuck onto such a packaging for surgical suture material
contains information about the contents of the packaging.
In order to guarantee appropriate treatment of a patient following
an operation, it may be necessary to record accurately the suture
material used in the operation. If this takes place during the operation,
this occupies staff for a relatively long time, and may lead to
incorrect records. Post-operational recording would have to take
place from memory, which is particularly prone to errors. Before
the operation, it is not yet known precisely which surgical suture
material is actually required.
It is therefore the object of the invention to create the possibility
of documenting quickly and reliably the surgical suture material
used or employed in an operation.
This object is achieved by a packaging for surgical suture material
having the features of Claim 1 as well as by the use of a label
having the features of Claim 6 for sticking onto a packaging for
surgical suture material. Advantageous versions of the invention
emerge from the subclaims.
The packaging according to the invention for surgical suture material
is provided with a stuck-on label. The label has a main section
and a transfer part punched out of the main section. The back of
the main section is coated with contact adhesive, as is the back
of the transfer part. The back of the transfer part is stuck onto
a first protective paper to which the contact adhesive adheres only
moderately well so that the transfer part can be peeled off relatively
easily. The term "protective paper" is to be understood
here in a very wide sense. For example, silicone paper is suitable
as protective paper, but a plastic film is also conceivable.
The edge region of the first protective paper extends beyond the
edge of the transfer part and is stuck to the contact adhesive on
the back of the main section. The surface area of the first protective
paper is smaller than that of the label. The effect of this design
is that the first protective paper is held securely on the packaging
for surgical suture material by the main section, even if the back
of the first protective paper itself is not provided with adhesive.
The transfer part can be easily peeled off from the packaging according
to the invention for surgical suture material and can be stuck,
for example, onto a records sheet containing patient-related data.
This can take place quickly and effortlessly during an operation,
and it is ensured that the information contained on the transfer
part and relating to the surgical suture material is transferred
in a correct manner to the records sheet, and is therefore documented.
The transfer part is preferably provided on the front with a bar
code in which the desired information is encoded.
It is, for example, also conceivable to stick the transfer part
onto an order form in order easily to reorder used surgical suture
material. The label of the packaging according to the invention
for surgical suture material can have several transfer parts in
order to transfer the desired information to several different places,
e.g. onto a records sheet having patient data and onto an order
form.
In a preferred version, in an edge zone of the transfer part, the
contact adhesive on the back of the transfer part is covered by
a covering. The covering can be punched out of the first protective
paper. The result of this is that the back of the transfer part
is not sticky in this edge zone and can be peeled off more easily
from the first protective paper. The edge zone can be connected
via a perforation to the remaining area of the transfer part so
that, after the transfer part has been stuck at the desired location,
e.g. on a records sheet, the then no longer required edge zone with
the non-sticky covering can be easily torn off.
The packaging for surgical suture material preferably contains
a sterile inner packaging with surgical suture material, in which,
for example, a thread or several threads, optionally with needles
fastened thereto, are housed. In this case, therefore, the packaging
acts as a surrounding packaging for the inner packaging. In principle,
it is also conceivable to store the surgical suture material directly
in the packaging according to the invention.
To produce a packaging for surgical suture material, the label
meant for sticking on is preferably supplied in a form in which
the contact adhesive, which is not covered by the first protective
paper, on the back of the main section is covered by a second protective
paper, which is to be removed prior to sticking onto the packaging
for surgical suture material. Just like the first protective paper,
the second protective paper may consist, for example, of silicone
paper or a film. The first protective paper is preferably punched
out of the second protective paper.
In a preferred version, a number of similar labels are arranged
next to one another, e.g. on sheets or in the form of a strip, the
respective second protective papers being joined together.
Information can be printed on the label or labels by means of a
printer, preferably a laser printer, during the production process
for the packagings for surgical suture material. Production and
the provision of the desired information can be closely linked in
this way, and shortfalls or surpluses of labels are avoided.
The invention is explained in more detail below with reference
to an embodiment.
The drawings show in
FIG. 1 a perspective view of a packaging according to the invention
for surgical suture material having a stuck-on label and
FIG. 2 in part (a) a perspective view of a label prior to sticking
onto a packaging for surgical suture material, supplied with a second
protective paper, and in part (b) a perspective view of the back
of the label after peeling off from the second protective paper,
a first protective paper being recognizable.
FIG. 1 shows a packaging for surgical suture material in perspective
view from the top. In the embodiment, the packaging 1 has two aluminium
foils which are positioned one above the other and are stuck together
along their common edge running around the periphery. The outer
edge zone of the two foils is not provided with adhesive on the
narrow side 2 so that the foils can be easily gripped there at
the top side and the bottom side, and the packaging 1 can be torn
open. In the inside of the packaging 1 is located a sterile inner
packaging with surgical suture material which is not shown in the
figures and can be easily removed when the packaging 1 has been
opened.
A label 3 is stuck onto the top side of the packaging 1 i.e. onto
the upper of the two aluminium foils. The label 3 has a main section
10 and a transfer part 12 which is punched out (completely or partially)
of the main section 10 along its edge 14. In the embodiment, the
main section 10 and the transfer part 12 consist of paper. The upper
aluminium foil of the packaging 1 is advantageously stiffened by
the label 3 which eases removal of the inner packaging when the
packaging 1 has been torn open.
FIG. 2 shows in detail how the label 3 is designed. In FIG. 2(a),
the label 3 is located, prior to sticking onto a packaging for surgical
suture material, on a protective paper, e.g. a silicone paper or
a foil (see below). FIG. 2(b) shows the label 3 from the back, after
it has been peeled off from the protective paper mentioned.
The backs of the main section 10 and of the transfer part 12 are
coated with a contact adhesive. The contact adhesive of the transfer
part 12 is covered by a first protective paper 16 see FIG. 2(b).
The surface area of the first protective paper 16 is smaller than
that of the label 3 but larger than that of the transfer part 12
so that an edge region 18 of the first protective paper 16 extends
beyond the edge 14 of the transfer part 12. The edge region 18 is
stuck by means of the contact adhesive to the back of the main section
10. After the label 3 according to FIG. 2(b) has been stuck onto
the packaging 1 for surgical suture material, the first protective
paper 16 is held securely and firmly on the packaging 1 by the main
section 10 although the back of the first protective paper 16 is
not coated with adhesive. The transfer part 12 can be easily peeled
off from the first protective paper 16 as indicated in FIG. 2(a),
because the adhesive force between the contact adhesive on the back
of the transfer part 12 and the first protective paper 16 is relatively
weak.
In the embodiment, in an edge zone 20 of the transfer part 12
see FIG. 2(a), the contact adhesive on the back of the transfer
part 12 is covered by a covering 22 see FIG. 2(b), i.e. the covering
22 is stuck onto the edge zone 20 by means of the contact adhesive.
Hence a non-sticky end piece of the transfer part 12 is produced
which can be easily gripped and released again, and thereby the
removal of the transfer part 12 from the label 3 is made easier.
In the embodiment, the covering 22 is punched out of the first protective
paper 16. The edge zone 20 is connected to the remaining area of
the transfer part 12 via a perforation line 24. After the transfer
part 12 has been removed and has been stuck, e.g. onto a records
sheet, by means of the contact adhesive on its back, the edge zone
20 with the covering 22 can easily be torn off along the perforation
line 24 so that the area of the transfer part 12 remaining on the
records sheet is stuck on over its whole surface.
The front of the transfer part 12 carries details about the contents
of the packaging for surgical suture material. In the embodiment,
this information is encoded in a bar code 26. In addition, an uncoded
text statement can also be provided, as is also the case for the
inscription 28 of the main section 10 see FIG. 2(a).
As already mentioned, prior to sticking onto the packaging 1 the
label 3 is located on a protective paper, here called second protective
paper 30 see FIG. 2(a). The second protective paper 30 covers the
contact adhesive left by the first protective paper 16 on the back
of the main section 10 of the label 3 and hence makes handling
of the label 3 easier prior to sticking onto the packaging 1.
The first protective paper 16 is preferably punched out of the
second protective paper 30. When producing a label 3 it is possible
to carry out the necessary punchings for the transfer part 12 for
the first protective paper 16 and also for the covering 22 and the
perforation line 24 on the edge zone 20 by punching the label 3
stuck onto the second protective paper 30 from above and from below
in one step.
A number of similar labels 3 are preferably arranged next to one
another on the second protective paper 30. In this process, sheets
or continuous strips, for example, can be formed. Information can
be printed on the labels 3 using a printer, preferably a laser printer,
during the production process for the packagings for surgical suture
material or during the filling of these packagings with surgical
suture material, and they can also be provided with a changing batch
number. It is then unnecessary to produce labels 3 for stock, and
as a result of this, storage and logistics costs fall and it is
guaranteed that, on the one hand, there are always enough labels
available, but, on the other hand, a surplus of labels is not produced.
After imprinting, the labels 3 can be peeled off from the second
protective paper 30 by means of a label-dispenser system and stuck
onto the packagings for surgical suture material.
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