Abstract: A surgical thread and a surgical device. The surgical thread includes at least two adjacent elongated elements that are connected to each other and include filament fibers such that a maximum cross-sectional diameter of the thread is substantially greater than the cross-sectional diameter of the thread in the direction perpendicular to the maximum diameter, and the elements are connected by a structure that is arranged to be broken at least at the ends of the elements such that the thread can be divided into single elements. The surgical device includes a needle and a surgical thread attached to the surgical needle.

Abstract: In a means for detecting the wear of a current interrupting contact (4) there is used a light conductor (12) as a connecting link between the contact (4) and a detector (20) arranged at ground potential. The light conductor is inserted into an aperture (11) provided from the rear side of the contact, the bottom of said aperture being positioned at the level corresponding to a worn out contact. When the wear has grown so great that the light conductor (12) is exposed, the light or heat of the breaking arc will generate or interrupt a light signal, which via the light conductor is transmitted to the detector.