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AssigneeThe Schnipke Family, LLC
InventorsBrian T. Doepker, David B. Erhart
Estimating the term…
A testing method and apparatus for determining whether surgical cartridges have excess drivers. A blade is disposed in the slots of the cartridge and displaced while it contacts the floor of the slot. If an excess driver is encountered, the blade is displaced away from the floor and this movement is detected, preferably by an electronic sensor. The apparatus includes a base plate to which a carriage is mounted, either directly or through other structural members. The carriage is configured to slide along a pair of parallel shafts, and is driven by a pneumatic ram or other linear prime mover. A tooling plate is moveably mounted to the carriage, and the blade is mounted to the tooling plate. Movement by the blade due to excess drivers results in movement by the tooling plate relative to the carriage, which is detected and recorded, such as by a computer.
A testing apparatus for a surgical cartridge, the surgical cartridge having at least one slot with a floor, the floor having at least one aperture into which at least one driver is inserted, the apparatus comprising:
A testing apparatus for a surgical cartridge, the surgical cartridge having a plurality of elongated, substantially parallel spaced slots, each slot having a floor with a plurality of apertures into which drivers are inserted, the apparatus comprising:
A testing apparatus for a surgical cartridge, the surgical cartridge having a plurality of elongated, substantially parallel spaced slots, each slot having a floor with a plurality of apertures into which drivers are inserted, the apparatus comprising:
A method for testing a surgical cartridge, the surgical cartridge having a plurality of elongated, substantially parallel spaced slots, each slot having a floor with a plurality of apertures into which drivers are inserted, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.