# US 5,701,656 A · Process for manufacturing taper point surgical needles

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- Number: US 5,701,656 A
- Document ID: US5701656A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/665,054
- Filed: 1996-06-07
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1993-11-01
- Assignees: Ethicon, Inc.
- Inventors: Daniel Smith; Bernard M. Willis; Kenneth P. Marschke, Jr.; Barry Littlewood; Vulgens Schoen; Carl Gucker; Michael Nordmeyer; Thaddeus Miklewicz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5701656A

## CPC

- B24B 41/06: Work supports, e.g. adjustable steadies (B24B37/27 takes precedence)
- A61B 17/06066: {Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations}
- B21G 1/00: Making needles used for performing operations (forming heads on pin-like needles B21G3/12; making U-shaped hairpins B21G7/04)
- B21G 3/16: Pointing; with or without cutting
- B24B 19/16: for grinding sharp-pointed workpieces, e.g. needles, pens, fish hooks, tweezers or record player styli (grinding bevels on diamonds or sapphires B24B9/16; polishing of needles B24B29/08)
- A61B 2017/00526: {Methods of manufacturing}
- A61B 2017/06028: {by means of a cylindrical longitudinal blind bore machined at the suture-receiving end of the needle, e.g. opposite to needle tip}
- Y10T 29/4981: Utilizing transitory attached element or associated separate material
- Y10T 29/49995: Shaping one-piece blank by removing material
- Y10T 29/49996: Successive distinct removal operations
- Y10T 29/49998: Work holding
- Y10T 29/5124: with means to feed work intermittently from one tool station to another
- Y10T 29/5187: Wire working
- Y10T 83/0505: With reorientation of work between cuts
- B24B: MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING (grinding of gear teeth B23F, of screw-threads B23G1/36; by electro-erosion B23H; abrasive or related blasting B24C; tools for grinding, buffing or sharpening B24D; polishing compositions C09G1/00; abrasives C09K3/14; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F3/00; grinding arrangements for use on assembled railway tracks E01B31/17); DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- B21G: MAKING NEEDLES, PINS OR NAILS OF METAL
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said grinding means further comprises a second grinding wheel having one-half of the profile of a taper point needle, said second grinding wheel mounted adjacent to the first grinding wheel.

### Claim 3

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.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein said grinding means further comprises a second grinding wheel having one-half of the profile of a taper point needle configuration, said second grinding wheel mounted adjacent to the first grinding wheel.

### Claim 5

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.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein said grinding means further comprises a second grinding wheel having one-half of the profile of a taper point needle configuration, said second grinding wheel mounted adjacent to the first grinding wheel.

### Claim 7

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.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 wherein said grinding means further comprises a second grinding wheel having one-half of the profile of a taper point needle configuration, said second grinding wheel mounted adjacent to the first grinding wheel.