Surgical suturing needle and method for making same
AssigneeAmerican Cyanamid Company
InventorsJanniah S. Prasad, Robert Maurer, Paul Kapralos, John E. Buzerak, Charles L. Putnam
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical suturing needle is formed to have a needle shaft with a rectangular cross-section and a needle head with a triangular needle point. A transitional portion between the needle shaft and the needle head is formed to have a maximum width greater than the width of the needle shaft. A plurality of cutting edges extend from the needle point to at least the maximum width section of the transitional portion. After forming and grinding the suturing needle, it is immersed in an acid bath and exposed to an electrical field. Finally, the surgical needle is heat-treated to increase its strength and resistance to bending or breaking.
Claims26
A method of making a surgical suturing needle from a blank, comprising the steps of:
- metal-working the blank to form a shaft portion of the needle with a rectangular cross-section, with said rectangular cross-section having a major axis and a minor axis and a ratio of the major axis to the minor axis of no more than about 1.2;
- metal-working a first end of the blank to form a needle head triangularly-shaped in cross-section terminating in a needle point and having a plurality of cutting edges;
- metal-working the needle head to form a transition portion between the shaft portion and the needle point with a width greater than a width of the shaft portion, with the cutting edges extending axially from the needle point to at least the transitional portion;
- and
- sharpening the needle point and cutting edges.
A method of making a surgical suturing needle from a blank, comprising the steps of:
- selecting a needle blank made of 300 series stainless steel;
- working the needle blank to form a shaft portion with a rectangular cross-section and a first width, with said cross-section having a major axis and minor axis and a ratio of the major axis to the minor axis of no more than about 1.2;
- shaping a first end of the needle blank to form a three-sided needle head terminating in a needle point having a plurality of cutting edges;
- sharpening the needle point and cutting edges;
- electrochemically processing the needle point and cutting edges;
- and
- heat treating the needle.
A surgical suturing needle comprising:
- a needle shaft having a width and a rectangular cross-section with a major axis and a minor axis having a ratio of no more than about 1.2;
- a multi-sided needle head having a needle point with an included angle of between 25.degree. to 29.degree. and a plurality of cutting edges extending axially from said needle point and defining sides of said needle head;
- and
- a transitional portion adjoining said needle shaft and said needle head, with said transitional portion having a maximum width greater than the width of said needle shaft.
A method of forming a surgical needle head on a needle shaft, comprising the steps of:
- metal-working one end of the needle shaft to form a three-sided needle head terminating in a needle point, with the needle head having a plurality of cutting edges and a triangular cross-section;
- and
- forming a transitional portion on the needle head between the needle point and the needle shaft, with the transitional portion having a width larger than a width of the needle shaft, wherein
- the cutting edges extend axially from the needle point to at least the transitional portion of the needle head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.