Making closed end tubes for surgical instruments

A method of making a surgical instrument of the kind that includes an inner tube having a closed distal end disposed for movement within an outer tube having a closed distal end, comprising

• providing a tubular member to serve as either the inner tube or the outer tube, the tubular member having an open distal end,
• swaging the distal end of the tubular member closed, the swaging producing a seam in material of the tubular member at the distal end and a protrusion of the tubular member material at the seam,
• cutting away a selected amount of the protrusion,
• fusing the material together at the seam after the cutting, and
• after the fusing, forming the closed distal end of the tubular member into a selected shape that substantially matches a shape of another one of the inner tube or the outer tube,
• wherein portions of the tubes are adapted to interact with each other to perform a surgical operation in response to the movement of the inner tube within the outer tube.

A method of making a surgical instrument of the kind that includes an inner tube disposed for movement within an outer tube, comprising

• providing a tubular member adapted to serve as one of the inner tube or the outer tube, the tubular member having an open distal end,
• rotary swaging the distal end of the tubular member closed, and
• forming the closed distal end to a share that substantially matches a shape of another one of the inner tube or the outer tube,
• wherein portions of the tubes are adapted to interact with each other to perform a surgical operation in response to the movement of the inner tube within the outer tube,
• wherein the method further comprises forming the closed distal end of the tubular member into a selected shape, and performing said forming by pressing the distal end between a pair of dies that define the selected shape, and
• wherein pressing comprises hammering.

A method of making a surgical instrument of the kind that includes an inner tube disposed for movement within an outer tube, comprising

• providing a tubular member adapted to serve as one of the inner tube or the outer tube, the tubular member having an open distal end,
• swaging the distal end of the tubular member closed, and
• forming the closed distal end to a shape that substantially matches a shape of another one of the inner tube or the outer tube,
• wherein portions of the tubes are adapted to interact with each other to perform a surgical operation in response to the movement of the inner tube within the outer tube,
• the swaging produces a seam in material of the tubular member at the distal end, and further comprising fusing the material together at the seam, and
• the swaging produces a protrusion of the tubular member material at the seam, and further comprising cutting away a selected amount of the protrusion prior to performing the fusing.

A method of making a surgical instrument of the kind that includes an inner tube disposed for movement within an outer tube, comprising

• providing a tubular member adapted to serve as one of the inner tube or the outer tube, the tubular member having an open distal end,
• swaging the distal end of the tubular member closed,
• forming the closed distal end to a shape that substantially matches a shape of another one of the inner tube or the outer tube,
• wherein portions of the tubes are adapted to interact with each other to perform a surgical operation in response to the movement of the inner tube within the outer tube, and
• forming the closed distal end of the tubular member into a selected shape, said forming performed by pressing the distal end between a pair of dies that define the selected shape,
• wherein pressing comprises hammering.