Patent ID: 8540736

Claim:
A suture system spool configured to retain suture having a suture diameter and tension the suture between a distal end portion and a proximal end portion of a suturing tool, the spool comprising: a monolithically formed disc defining a central opening that provides the disc with an inside diameter, the disc including a base and a flap joined with the base at the inside diameter, the flap extending from the inside diameter of the disc to an outer periphery of the disc to define a cavity between the flap and the base; wherein the flap is spaced away from the base at a location between the inside diameter and the outer periphery of the disc by a factor of at least two times the suture diameter, and the flap is spaced away from the base at the outer periphery of the disc by a distance that is approximately equal to the suture diameter and wherein the flap is cantilevered from the inside diameter of the disc, the flap configured to flex away from the base to allow the suture to be removed from the cavity.