US 5,487,212 A · Assembly and packaging method for needle and suture assemblies

Abstract

An automated machine for attaching a suture to a surgical needle having a suture receiving opening formed therein, and for packaging the same in a package tray comprises a first workstation including a device for sorting a plurality of needles and orienting each needle for automatic feeding to a second swaging workstation, a second workstation including a device for automatically cutting an indefinite length of suture material to a definite length and a device for automatically swaging the needle to close the suture receiving opening about a free end of the suture to secure the suture thereto and form a needle-suture assembly, a needle packaging station including a device for sequentially receiving at least one of the needle-suture assemblies in a package tray in synchronism with the second workstation, the needle packaging station having a device for automatically winding the depending suture portion of the needle-suture assembly into the package tray, a first indexing device for sequentially receiving individual oriented needles fed from the first workstation and transferring each of the needles from the first workstation to the second workstation to form the needle-suture assembly thereat, the first indexing device sequentially indexing the needle-suture assemblies from the second workstation to the needle packaging station.

Claims24

Dependent claims

(a) sorting a plurality of needles and orienting each needle for automatic sequential feeding thereof to a first indexing means for transfer to a subsequent swaging workstation;
(b) sequentially swaging each of said fed needles to close said suture receiving opening of each respective needle about a free end of a corresponding suture strand to secure said suture strand thereto and form a needle-suture assembly at said swaging workstation for automatic sequential feeding thereof to a needle packaging station by said first indexing means;
and,
(c) sequentially depositing each formed needle-suture assembly in a package tray at said needle packaging station, one needle-suture assembly being deposited in said package tray at the same time said swaging of a subsequent needle about a subsequent corresponding suture strand occurs at said swaging workstation, and, at the same time said sorting of said plurality of needles takes place.

1 more element

An automated process for attaching a suture strand to a surgical needle having a suture receiving opening formed therein, and for packaging a needle-suture assembly in a package tray, said automated process performed by an automated machine performing multiple simultaneous operations during each machine cycle, said process comprising the steps of:

(a) sorting a plurality of needles and orienting each needle for automatic sequential feeding thereof to a first indexing means for transfer to a subsequent swaging workstation during said each machine cycle;
(b) sequentially swaging each of said fed needles to close said suture receiving opening of each respective needle about a free end of a corresponding suture strand to secure said suture strand thereto and form a needle-suture assembly at said swaging workstation during each machine cycle, said first indexing means sequentially feeding one said formed needle-suture assembly from said swaging workstation to a needle packaging station during said each machine cycle;
and,
(c) sequentially depositing each formed needle-suture assembly in a package tray at said needle packaging station, one needle-suture assembly being deposited in said package tray during said each machine cycle.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Assembly and packaging method for needle and suture assemblies

Life of this patent

Assembly and packaging method for needle and suture assemblies

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24