Process for manufacturing taper point surgical needles
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
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.
Claims8
A method 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, wherein the grinding means comprises a first grinding wheel and the grinding wheel comprises one-half of the profile of a taper point needle configuration.
A method 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 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 at least one plane;
- and,
- moving each needle blank to a grinding means and simultaneously grinding the distal end of each needle blank while rotating it in the carrier means to form a taper point, wherein the grinding means comprises a first grinding wheel and the grinding wheel comprises one-half of the profile of a taper point needle configuration.
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 the 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 to form a taper point, wherein the grinding means comprises a first grinding wheel and the grinding wheel comprises one-half of the profile of a taper point needle configuration.
A method for manufacturing a wire member having a taper point, comprising:
- mounting a plurality of wire blanks to a carrier means, said were blanks each 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 each 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, wherein the grinding means comprises a first grinding wheel and the grinding wheel comprises one-half of the profile of a taper point needle configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.