US 6,012,216 AGranted

Stand alone swage apparatus

AssigneeEthicon, Inc.

InventorsAnthony Esteves, John F. Blanch, Robert A. Daniele, David D. Demarest

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Abstract

A semi-automated machine for singulating individual surgical needles from an bulk supply and attaching a suture to the surgical needle is described. Each of the surgical needles has a suture receiving opening formed therein for receiving a suture. The machine includes a singulation station having a sliding surface that assists an operator in singulating needles and depositing them in a pair of drop locations for subsequent automatic handling. Indexing conveyors, an articulated robot and a precision conveyor are used with a precise positioning station for orienting each needle for automatic handling. A universal gripper mounted on a rotary indexing device automatically receives each individual needle in a predetermined orientation and conveys the needle for sequential processing from station to station to form the needle-suture assembly. A suture feeding and cutting station automatically cuts an indefinite length of suture material to a definite length suture strand and automatically inserts an end of the definite length suture strand into the suture receiving opening formed in the needle. A swage station is provided for swaging the needle to close the suture receiving opening about the suture to secure said suture thereto and form therefrom a needle and suture assembly. A suture pull-test station test each needle suture bond, and selectively and destructively tests the bond for adjusting the swage dies and for statistical quality control. A final off-load station provides an apparatus for assembling a predetermined number of need-suture assemblies in a bundle for subsequent packaging.

Claims98

Dependent claims

A needle threading and swaging apparatus for attaching a suture to a surgical needle having a suture receiving opening formed therein, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a needle singulating station for receiving a plurality of randomly arranged surgical needles, said station including a sliding surface for assisting an operator in singulating surgical needles for transfer to an indexing conveyor;
(b) a robotic apparatus for transferring said surgical needles from said indexing conveyor to a precise positioning apparatus, said robotic apparatus and said precise positioning apparatus orienting each surgical needle in a precise position for subsequent automatic handling at a first predetermined location;
(c) a universal gripper for receiving each precisely positioned surgical needle at said first predetermined location and indexing each of said surgical needles in a predetermined orientation from said first predetermined location through successive locations for sequential processing at subsequent predetermined locations;
(d) a suture cutting station located at a second predetermined location for automatically cutting an indefinite length of suture material to a definite length and automatically inserting said suture into said suture receiving opening formed in said surgical needle;
(e) a swage station for swaging said surgical needle to close said suture receiving opening about a free end of said suture to secure said suture thereto and form therefrom a needle and suture assembly;
(f) means for receiving said needle and suture assemblies from said universal gripper for subsequent packaging;
whereby unsorted needles and an indefinite length of suture material are formed into a plurality of needle and suture assemblies.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/848,927Filed 30 Apr 1997
Granted: 11 Jan 2000
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification25 codes

A61B 17/06133
Packages or dispensers for needles or sutures: of parallelepipedal shape, e.g. made of rectangular or slightly oval panels
A61B 17/06004
Needles ; Sutures; Needle-suture combinations; Holders or packages for needles or suture materials: means for attaching suture to needle
B21G 1/08
Making needles used for performing operations: of hollow needles or needles with hollow end, e.g. hypodermic needles, larding-needles
B65B 25/008
Packaging other articles presenting special problems: packaging of contact lenses