Ethicon, Gmbh

Anthony Esteves

Robert A Daniele

David D Demarest

Robert J Cerwin

John F Blanch

Marvin Alpern

Martin Sobel

George Horst Reinemuth

Richard Paul Branco

Michael G Hodulik

Teresa M Shaw

Stephen George

William F Smith

Joseph Stanley Siernos

Matthew Cafone

Michael S Pohle

Robert J Gibbs

Irwin J Shiffer

A labyrinth package for sutures. The package has a base member with a top and a bottom. A labyrinth wall member extends from the top of the base member upwardly to form a labyrinth channel. The channel has an open end and a closed end. There is a vacuum opening in the bottom of the channel adjacent to the closed end. A lid is placed on top of the package. The package is loaded with sutures by using a combination of a vacuum source applied to the vacuum opening and a venturi air stream feed.

Labyrinth package for sutures

A machine for the automated packaging of armed sutures or; in effect, surgical needles having sutures attached thereto and, more particularly, a suture package unloading arrangement and package unloading method employed in an automated machine for the high-speed individualized packaging of single or individual surgical needles each having an attached suture into a tray and detachable cover providing a suture package utilized for the packaging of the individual or single needles and attached sutures.

Suture package unloading arrangement in a machine for the automated packaging of needles and attached sutures

A semi-automated machine and method 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.

Stand alone swage method

A method for automatically forming armed surgical needles and for automatically packaging the same in a packaging tray, the automatic forming and packaging operating under control of a control computer, each armed surgical needle including a surgical needle having a suture receiving opening formed therein for attachment of a definite length suture material thereof. The method comprises the steps of sorting and depositing a plurality of needles on an indexing conveyor; enabling a robot gripper device to sequentially pick up the needles and place a picked needle in a precision conveyor device for automatic sequential conveyance to a first station; utilizing a first indexing device for sequentially indexing the needle from the first station to a second station to form the armed needle, the first indexing device being elevated in height; at the second station, automatically inserting a free end of a suture strand into the suture receiving opening of the needle, swaging the needle about the free end of the suture, and cutting the suture strand to a predetermined definite length to form the armed needle. The formed armed needle is then sequentially inserted into a respective single package tray indexed at a subsequent station that has been oriented in height with respect to the first indexing device in accordance with the size of the needle. At a further subsequent station the tray and parked armed needle therein is subject to at least one rapid winding operation to wind the suture around a peripheral channel of the tray.

Control system for an automatic needle-suture assembly and packaging

The present invention is directed to improvements in an Automated Swage Wind and Packaging Machine that is particularly adapted to assist in the automated singulation of surgical needles to enable subsequent automated handling of the needle, automatic swaging of the suture into a receiving end of the needle, automatic pull testing of the combined needle and suture, and automated packaging of the pull tested combined needle and suture into a tray having a cover.

Automated swage wind and packaging machine

A machine for the automated packaging of armed sutures or; in effect, surgical needles having sutures attached thereto and, more particularly, a package feed arrangement in an automated machine including a package tray supplying carousel arrangement and robotic pivot arm mechanism for the high-speed feed of package trays for the individualized packaging of single or individual surgical needles each having an attached suture into a tray and detachable cover providing a suture package utilized for the packaging of the individual or single needles and attached sutures.

Package feed arrangement in a machine for the automated packaging of

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.

Stand alone swage apparatus

A machine for the automated packaging of armed sutures or; in effect, surgical needles having sutures attached thereto and, more particularly, a needle gripper and transfer arrangement in an automated machine for the high-speed individualized packaging into trays of single or individual surgical needles each having an attached suture and a detachable cover providing a suture package utilized for the packaging of the individual or single needles and attached sutures. The machine includes vertically adjustable frame structure so as to adjust the elevation thereof relative to the needle transfer arrangement to facilitate the packaging of differently sized needles in a single size of packaging tray.

Needle transfer arrangement in a machine for the automated packaging of

A machine and a method for the automated packaging of armed sutures or; in effect, surgical needles having sutures attached thereto and, more particularly, an automated machine for the high-speed individualized packaging of single or individual surgical needles each having an attached suture into a tray and detachable cover providing a suture package utilized for the packaging of the individual or single needles and attached sutures. Additionally, the automated packaging machine incorporates operative mechanism adapted to wind the sutures into a peripheral channel of the tray and facilitating the attachment of the cover to the tray which contains the single needle and attached wound suture, and which cover concurrently constitutes a product-identifying label as a component of the tray, and upon removal of the cover enables a user to gain access to the contents of the tray; in essence, the armed suture.

Machine for the automated packaging of needles and attached sutures

A machine for the automated packaging of armed sutures or; in effect, surgical needles having sutures attached thereto and, more particularly, a suture winding arrangement in an automated machine for the high-speed individualized packaging of single or individual surgical needles each having an attached suture into a tray and detachable cover providing a suture package utilized for the packaging of the individual or single needles and attached sutures.

Suture winding arrangement in a machine for the automated packaging of

A machine for the automated packaging of armed sutures or; in effect, surgical needles having sutures attached thereto and, more particularly, an arrangement and a method for applying covers to package trays in an automated machine for the highspeed individualized packaging of single or individual surgical needles each having an attached suture into a tray and detachable cover providing a suture package utilized for the packaging of the individual or single needles and attached sutures.

Cover or label-applying arrangement in a machine for the automated

A machine for the automated packaging of armed sutures or; in effect, surgical needles having sutures attached thereto and, more particularly, a suture capture and tensioning arrangement in an automated machine for the high-speed individualized packaging of single or individual surgical needles each having an attached suture into a tray and detachable cover providing a suture package utilized for the packaging of the individual or single needles and attached sutures.

Suture capture and tensioning arrangement in a machine for the automated

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 needle singulation station, a precise positioning station, a suture feeding station, a swage station, a pull-test station and an off-load station. 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. The rotary indexing device includes two coaxial cam dials that provide rotation and reciprocation of the universal gripper, and an off-set drive is provided at two locations for laterally off setting the radial reciprocation of the universal gripper. This off set is necessary to enable the universal gripper to place and receive needles in a fixed jaw having a die opening or needle gripping opening formed therein. 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 final off-load station provides an apparatus for assembling a predetermined number of need-suture assemblies in a bundle for subsequent packaging.

Stand alone swage dial assembly

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 needle singulation station, a precise positioning station, a suture feeding station, a swage station, a pull-test station and an off-load station. 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. An off-load station provides an apparatus for assembling a predetermined number of need-suture assemblies in a bundle for subsequent packaging. The bundles are collected in a plurality of buckets that are circumferentially arranged on a rotating table. A needle stripping device ensures discharge of the needle suture assembly into the bucket.

Off-load dial assembly for needles and sutures

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 needle singulation station, a precise positioning station, a suture feeding station, a swage station, a pull-test station and an off-load station. 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 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. The suture pull-test station tests each needle suture bond with a pre-determined pull for quality control. This pull is adjustable via a precision spring tension device. The pull test station includes two sets of jaws for gripping the suture, the first for the quality control pull test, and the second for a destructive test in which the strength of the bond is measured for adjusting the swage dies and for statistical quality control purposes. A final off-load station provides an apparatus for assembling a predetermined number of need-suture assemblies in a bundle for subsequent packaging.

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Somerville, NJ, United States of America

Anthony Esteves