Patent ID: 8156718

Claim:
A method of making a packaged antimicrobial suture comprising the steps of: providing a containment compartment that is substantially free of an antimicrobial agent; positioning a suture within the containment compartment, said suture comprising one or more surfaces having an antimicrobial agent disposed thereon, said antimicrobial agent being selected from the group consisting of halogenated hydroxyl ethers, acyloxydiphenyl ethers, and combinations thereof; placing the containment compartment having the suture in an outer package; and subjecting the outer package, the containment compartment and the suture to time, temperature and pressure conditions sufficient to vapor transfer an effective amount of the antimicrobial agent from the suture to an inner surface of the containment compartment, while retaining an effective amount of said antimicrobial agent on the suture, thereby substantially inhibiting bacterial colonization on the suture and the containment compartment, wherein said step of subjecting the outer package, the containment compartment and the suture to conditions sufficient to vapor transfer an effective amount of the antimicrobial agent from the suture to an inner surface of the containment compartment, while retaining an effective amount of said antimicrobial agent on the suture includes adjusting the pressure to not more than 0.005 kPa at a temperature greater than room temperature.