Process for manufacturing taper point surgical needles
OwnerDaniel Smith, Bernard M. Willis +6inventors
InventorsDaniel Smith, Bernard M. Willis, Kenneth P. Marschke, Jr., Barry Littlewood, Vulgens Schoen, Carl Gucker, Michael Nordmeyer, Thaddeus Miklewicz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for manufacturing wire or needles having a taper point. Needle or wire blanks are cut from a roll of wire and mounted to a carrier strip. The carrier strip and needles are moved through a succession of forming and trimming and grinding stations. The blanks are preferably rotated in the strip while being ground.
Claims20
A process for manufacturing a taper point needle comprising:
- rotatably mounting a plurality of needle blanks to a carrier means, said needle blanks each having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end;
- moving the carrier means and each needle blank to a first trimming means and then cutting each needle blank on one or more planes;
- rotating each needle blank sufficiently to allow for an additional cut in an additional plane;
- moving each needle blank to a second trimming station and cutting each needle blank on at least one additional plane;
- and,
- moving each needle blank to a grinding means and grinding the distal end of each needle blank while rotating it in the carrier means to form a taper point.
A process for manufacturing a taper point needle, comprising:
- mounting a plurality of needle blanks to a carrier means, said needle blanks each having a longitudinal axis, a distal end and a proximal end;
- moving the carrier means and each needle blank to a first trimming means and then cutting each needle blank on at least one plane;
- and,
- moving each needle blank to a grinding means and grinding the distal end of each needle blank while rotating it in the carrier means to form a taper point.
A method for manufacturing a wire member having a taper point comprising:
- rotatably mounting a plurality of wire blanks to a carrier means, said wire blanks each having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end;
- moving the carrier means and each wire blank to a first trimming means and then cutting each wire blank on one or more planes;
- rotating each wire blank sufficiently to allow for an additional cut in an additional plane;
- moving each wire blank to a second trimming station and cutting each wire blank on at least one additional plane;
- and,
- moving each wire blank to a grinding means and grinding the distal end of each wire blank while rotating it in the carrier means to form a taper point.
A method for manufacturing a wire member having a taper point, comprising:
- mounting a plurality of wire blanks to a carrier means, each said wire blank having a longitudinal axis, a distal end and a proximal end;
- moving the carrier means and each wire blank to a first trimming means and then cutting the wire blank in at least one plane;
- and,
- moving each wire blank to a grinding means and grinding the distal end of each wire blank while rotating it in the carrier means to form a taper point.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.