Sewing thread for surgical purposes / [Carl Lütgenan].

  • Lütgenan, Carl.
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sewing thread for surgical purposes / [Carl Lütgenan]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    1/4
    JS 18,586 A. D. 1899 Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1899—Accepted, 25th Aug., 1900 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION. Sewing Thread for Surgical Purposes. We, Carl Lutgenan and Theodor Sciieens, M.D., trading as Liitgenan & Co., Manufacturers, of d4, Carlsplatz, Krefeld, Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particu¬ larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement: — d This invention relates to thread for surgical purposes, and more especially to thread combined with celluloid. Instead of thread specially made for sur¬ gical purposes, any other thread capable of being steeped with celluloid may be employed. Attempts have already been made to employ thread twisted in the ordinary 10 way for surgical dressings, but these attempts were however generally unsuc¬ cessful because this thread easily becomes swollen, untwisted and mixed, and moreover becomes affected to so high a degree by traumatic secretions, thereby often causing suppurations in the places through which it passes. These disadvantages are obviated in the most thorough manner by this cellu- 15 loid thread. The flaxen thread when in the sterilised state is soaked with celluloid by the following process; — After having been boiled several times in a steriliser in an appropriate solu¬ tion hereafter described, the twisted thread {i.e. thread which has been spun and doubled in the ordinary way) is washed in sterilised water and then dried 2n rapidly between cloths free from germs. The solution used for sterilising the thread is preferably a solution of soda but any solution serving the same purpose mav be employed. The strength of the soda solution is usually 1 per cent, but we do not claim this sterilisation as part of our said invention. The thread is next thoroughly saturated in a solution of celluloid jirepared in any convenient 25 manner, acetone being the dissolvent used. It is ini})ossible to state precisely how much of the latter should be used for any given (quantity of celluloid inasmuch as the proportions depend on the nature and quality of the celluloid and the strength of the dissolvent. It may be stated by way of example that one ])arts of celluloid dissolved in 100 parts of acetone the former being of average :U) quality and the latter of average strength, would answer the purpose. The ])rocess is finally completed by ironing the thread, i.e. pressing it between rollers or cylinders (not heated) in order to remove any roughness and make the thread run smoothly in use. The celluloid thread prepared in this way may be packed in wrappers or put d5 into bottles containing a solution of sublimate or carbolic acid, or any other disinfectant for the purpose of preserving it. Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is: — 40 Sewing thread for surgical purposes consisting of twisted or other .suitable thread characterised by its being thoroughly saturated, when in the sterilized \_Price Sof.]