Ethicon, Gmbh

Michael S Pohle

Robert J Cerwin

Marvin Alpern

Dwayne Lee Looney

Clifford A Dey

Anthony Esteves

Robert A Daniele

Konstantin K Ivanov

Robert J Kalinski

William R Reinhardt

Jay Arthur Esch

Shakti Routh

An apparatus and method for forming cavities in pouches. The packages are used for packaging sterile medical products. The apparatus has a frame and a tongue plate member. A pouch is placed onto the tongue plate member to form a cavity into at least one side of the pouch.

Method and device for forming pre-made pouches

Method for forming pre-made pouches

A needle holder includes a base holder with a plurality of sockets therein for receiving and removably retaining the base of a needle in one of the sockets. A tip holder portion has a plurality of hollows therein in a common plane for receiving and removably retaining the tip of the needle. A stretcher member extends between the base holder and the tip holder and is preferably flexible to increase the variety of needle dimensions that can be accommodated in the holder. The needle holder is particularly suitable for the type of needle used in meniscal repair.

Multi-position meniscal needle holder

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 horizontal, drop-feed dispenser box for unitary surgical suture packages. The package allows for bottom or top dispensing of suture packages.

Horizontal drop-feed, dispenser box

A method for making a suture package includes injection molding a shallow polymer tray for holding a suture. Fenestrations formed in a substantially flat floor area of the package cause the package to lay flat by interrupting material stresses set up by, e.g., differential cooling during injection molding.

Method for making fenestrated suture packages

A suture package comprising a needled suture or a non-needled suture, in the same folding retainer. The retainer comprises first and second suture-supporting panels hinged together along a common side edge; a cover panel hinged to each of the supporting panels along a common side edge; and a closing mechanism for releasably closing the panels together, folded about the hinges to retain a suture; one of the supporting panels and one of the cover panels including two separate access features providing access to either a needled or non-needled suture.

Multiple suture retainer and suture package

A suture package having a shallow polymer tray for holding an armed suture has a substantially flat floor area, an exterior surface of which defines at least a portion of a rear surface of the package. A front cover forms a front surface of the package and a needle park is disposed on the floor area for holding a surgical needle of the armed suture. The floor area has a window therethrough proximate the needle park. The front cover terminates proximate the needle park to provide an access opening to the needle. The window and the access opening permit the needle to be grasped by a needle holder and to be withdrawn from the package. Because the package has an opening on both the front and rear surfaces for viewing and removing the needle, curved needles may be stored therein in a conventional orientation, i.e., to serve right-handed physicians while at the same time accommodating dispensing from the rear to provide a suitable needle orientation for use by left-handed surgeons.

Armed suture package with universal dispensing capability

A suture package having a shallow polymer tray for holding a suture. The package has a substantially flat floor area, an upturned edge and a plurality of fenestrations therein. The fenestrations cause the package to lay flat by interrupting material stresses set up by, e.g., differential cooling during injection molding. The flatness of the package promotes automated package handling by machines. The fenestrations also save on material usage and disposal while providing the necessary structural integrity for the package.

Fenestrated suture package

A package for sterilized, absorbable medical devices is disclosed. The package has a plurality of cavities in communication with a vent, wherein the vent is preferably centrally located. After sterilization, the package is sealed adjacent to the vent thereby providing individual hermetically sealed sterile cavities which are cut away from the package to form unitary packages.

Growing community of inventors

Flemington, NJ, United States of America

Michael S Pohle