MULTIPLE PANEL SUTURE DISPENSING CARD AND METHOD FOR USING THE SAME

1 . An apparatus for holding a suture, the apparatus comprising:

a card including a base and a plurality of panels projecting outwardly from the base, the panels being adapted to fold to form the card into a box-shaped package;

the base being adapted to mount on a fixture when the card is in an unfolded configuration for receiving the suture;

the box-shaped package including a plurality of walls enclosing an internal cavity for containing the suture;

one of the plurality of panels including a slit adapted to retain a portion of the suture proximate a needle while the suture is being placed in the apparatus;

one of the plurality of panels including a needle nest adapted to capture the needle after the remainder of the suture has been placed into the apparatus; and

one of the plurality of panels being adapted to facilitate bending whereby a user can open a portion of the box-shaped package to access the needle and remove the needle and suture therefrom.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a fold indicator extending along an edge of the base between the base and a corresponding one of the plurality of panels.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a locking mechanism adapted to securely close the box-shaped package.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the needle nest includes opposing fingers for holding one or more needles.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the slit is in a panel different from the panel having the needle nest.

6 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein one of the plurality of panels includes a first suture positioning structure.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base includes a plurality of apertures adapted to receive pins of a mounting fixture.

8 . A system for packaging a suture, the system comprising:

a mounting fixture comprising a plurality of pins;

a suture packaging card having a base comprising a plurality of apertures;

the pins on the mounting fixture being configured to pass through the apertures in the base of the suture packaging card and to receive a coil of the suture material to be packaged within the suture packaging card; and

the suture packaging card comprising a plurality of panels projecting outwardly from the base, the panels being adapted to fold over the base to form the card into a box-shaped package for retaining the suture.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the pins on the mounting fixture are substantially straight such that the suture packaging card can slide on and off the mounting fixture.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein one of the plurality of panels including a needle nest adapted to capture one or more needles after the remainder of the suture has been placed into the suture packaging card.

11 . The system of claim 8 further comprising a fold indicator extending along an edge of the base between the base and a corresponding one of the plurality of panels.

12 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising a locking mechanism adapted to securely close the box-shaped package, thereby enclosing a cavity.

13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein one of the plurality of panels includes a first suture positioning structure, or one of the plurality of panels includes a suture holding tab and a cutout.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the base includes the same number of apertures as the pins on the mounting fixture.

15 . A method of packaging a suture, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting a suture packaging card onto a mounting fixture with a portion of the mounting fixture passing through the suture packaging card;

wrapping a suture into a coil around the portion of the mounting fixture that was passed through the suture packaging card;

securing the suture coil to the suture packaging card;

removing the suture packaging card from the mounting fixture;

securing a suture needle to the suture packaging card;

forming the suture packaging card into a box shape; and

securing closing the suture packaging box.