Apparatus for manufacturing needle attached sutures

The apparatus for manufacturing a needle attached suture in which an end of a needle is swaged with a lead end of a suture inserted in an insertion hole formed in the end of the needle to combine the suture with the needle, the apparatus comprises;

• a suture winding member for winding the suture;
• suture holding means for holding a portion of the suture near the lead end of the suture wound around the suture winding member;
• transport means for transporting the suture holding means straight in a suture transport direction toward the insertion hole of the needle;
• cutting means for cutting the suture after the lead end of the suture is inserted in the insertion hole of the needle;
• insertion means downstream of the suture holding means for nipping the suture near the lead end of the suture held by the holding means in a first direction orthogonal to said suture transport direction and for further advancing the lead end of the suture to insert the lead end of the suture into said insertion hole of the needle;
• and
• center positioning means downstream of the insertion means for nipping the suture near the lead end of suture from a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

An apparatus for manufacturing a needle attached suture comprising:

• a suture supply device for supplying a suture having a leading end portion;
• a suture holding device for holding the leading end portion of the suture;
• a transport device for transporting the suture holding device in a suture transport direction toward an insertion hole in the needle;
• a cutting device for cutting the suture after the transport device transports the suture;
• an insertion device downstream of said holding device and moveable between an engaged position engaging a leading end portion of said suture and a disengaged position disengaged from said leading end portion of said suture, said insertion device when in said engaged position engaging opposite sides of the leading end portion of the suture;
• a positioning device downstream of said holding device having an actuated position in which the positioning device positions the leading end portion of the suture in a predetermined position on said insertion device when said insertion device is in said disengaged position;
• said insertion device being changed from said disengaged position to said engaged position after the leading end portion of the suture is in said predetermined position, said insertion device when in the last said engaged position advancing said leading end portion of said suture to insert the leading end of the suture into the insertion hole of the needle.

An apparatus for manufacturing a needle threaded suture comprising:

• a suture supply device for supplying a suture having a leading end portion;
• a suture holding device for holding the leading end portion of the suture;
• a transport device for transporting the suture holding device in a generally horizontal suture transport direction toward an insertion hole in the needle;
• a cutting device for cutting the suture after the transport device transports the suture;
• a curing device upstream of said cutting device for applying a curing agent to a generally horizontal elongated region of the suture before cutting of the suture by said cutting device;
• a conveyor device for moving the curing device in the horizontal suture transport direction as the curing device progressively applies said curing agent along said horizontal elongated region of the suture;
• and
• an insertion device downstream of said holding device and moveable between an engaged position engaging a leading end portion of said suture and a disengaged position disengaged from said leading end portion of said suture, said insertion device when in said engaged position engaging the leading end portion of the suture to insert the leading end of the suture into the insertion hole of the needle.