Packaging innovation
brand creation

Wego Sutures is a Chinese suture manufacturer with a considerable reputation in their home market.

In order to expand the business, Wego planned to market their products in Europe and later the US. IDC was asked to upgrade the packaging and brand to compete in the international market.

Identifying trends in professional and consumer healthcare design, IDC chose to focus on the use of single colours in a tonal and textured way.

By combining key features of the existing Wego brand with contemporary elements, IDC was able to create a contemporary global extension by adding typographic elements for the brand product and category.

Monochromatic imagery was added to help identify the package contents and tie the range together.

The new brand identity was then implemented in the new suture packaging range for the global market.

As well as rebranding Wego's suture packs, IDC devised a clever new packaging design to improve dispensation and ensure suture threads would remain straight and tangle-free.

Traditional designs incorporate a needle and thread within a folded paper system, whilst newer and more costly options use a plastic track to encourage faster dispensation. IDC's product design team worked together with in-house engineers and model makers to research and test a design which drew on the notion of a plastic tracking system, whilst avoiding the negative points discovered during the research and development stage.

IDC's research revealed several issues with top end products currently on the market; the basic packaging had suture thread wound into a figure of eight and folded inside a paper envelope - this meant thread could tangle at inopportune moments, particularly when using monofilament thread which often curls during use.

IDC examined all thread types, dispensing methods and needle curvatures to gradually break down the margin of error to create smooth, reliable dispensing every time.

The product development team avoided tight turns and corners when designing a track which would be compatible with all thread and needle types. Needle radius and curvature was also researched extensively alongside varieties of thread.

Nylon and polypropylene monofilament, absorbable, non-absorbable, and several woven materials such as polyester, were just some of the threads investigated.

IDC Models produced numerous rigs and prototypes of each design concept which revealed that the shape of the track itself was paramount; a circle or oval worked best with all needle and thread types. This rigorous testing stage also allowed a full exploration of polymers to house the track.

IDC's design, patented by Weigao, dramatically reduces the possibility of tangling or bundling occurring, or damaging thinner threads, when the nurse pulls the needle and thread from the pack quickly during surgery.

Manufacturing and assembly of the product itself was also a major consideration during the product development process. The shape of the design lent itself to quick and easy assembly. With sterility issues in mind and automation not an option during assembly, the suture pack was designed so that the needle could be inserted swiftly, easily and safely and the thread wound tight into the pack without bundling.