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US 5,350,373 AGranted
Apparatus for attaching surgical suture components
AssigneeUnited States Surgical Corporation
InventorFrancis D. Colligan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to an apparatus for attaching surgical sutures to eyeless surgical needles. The apparatus includes a frame for positioning and maintaining the needle while the suture is being attached and a rotating die system which selectively impacts the needle to secure the suture thereto.
Claims24
Apparatus for attaching a surgical suture to an eyeless needle comprising:
- support means;
- die means having a die cartridge with at least one jaw slidably secured thereto, said die means supported by said support means for selectively impacting the needle such that a portion of the needle is deformed to maintain the suture therein, said die cartridge being rotatable between at least two positions relative to said support means;
- first drive means associated with said support means for actuating said at least one jaw to impact the needle in at least one of said two positions;
- and
- second drive means associated with said support means for rotating said die cartridge at least to a second of said two positions relative to said needle.
2 more elements
Apparatus for attaching surgical suture components comprising:
- a frame;
- needle gripping means secured to said frame for gripping a drilled surgical needle and for maintaining the needle in a predetermined position;
- die means supported by said frame adjacent said needle gripping means, said die means having a die cartridge with at least one jaw slidably secured thereto for selectively impacting said needle so that a portion of said needle is deformed sufficient to maintain the suture therein, said die cartridge being rotatable relative to said frame;
- first drive means associated with said frame for actuating said die means to impact the needle;
- and
- second drive means associated with said frame for rotating said die means after the needle is impacted to facilitate impacting the needle from a direction which differs from said direction of said first impact.
3 more elements
A method for attaching surgical suture components which comprises:
- providing a die cartridge having a pair of dies supported by said die cartridge such that at least one of said pair of dies is slidable relative to the other;
- releasably securing a surgical needle having a bore in an end face, between said pair of dies;
- orienting said die cartridge and said needle to a first position;
- inserting a surgical suture into said needle bore;
- impacting said needle with said pair of dies so as to secure said suture to said needle;
- rotating said die cartridge a predetermined rotational amount until said dies are oriented at an angle relative to said first orientation;
- and
- impacting said needle with said pair of dies so as to further secure said suture to said needle.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.