A suture package (30) including a panel having a series of superimposed subpanels (32a). A suture (20) loops back and forth on the subpanels (32a) such that adjacent loops are retained on adjacent subpanels (32a) and the adjacent subpanels separate the adjacent loops from one another. In the preferred embodiment, an accordion style panel (32) is utilized and the series of subpanels (32a) are folded into a superimposed relationship. Various features are incorporated to reduce the instances or likelihood of kinking and tangling of the suture (20) when pulled from the package (30) by a user.
The present application is a continuation of PCT Ser. No. PCT/US01/02772 filed on Jan. 26, 2001, which claims the priority of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/178,577, filed Jan. 26, 2000, now abandoned. The disclosures of each of these prior related applications are hereby fully incorporated by reference herein.
