Ethicon, Gmbh

Other

Block Island Technologies, LLC

Walter McGregor

Semyon Shchervinsky

William C McJames

William Schaeffer

Lee P Bendel

Rao S Bezwada

Robert J Tannhauser

Alastair W Hunter

Stephen J Yardan

Thomas D Maurer

Richard C Troutman

David C Novicki

A medical drape, particularly a surgical drape, having a front side and rear side, with the front side being connected to the rear side to form an enclosure to enclose a patient's extremity. The front side includes an open end which is closable around the patient's extremity, and the rear side is closed by a closed base wall. The base wall includes a first upper portion and a second lower portion, and includes a tapered base wall between the first upper portion and the second lower portion for fluid flow towards the second lower portion. A drain is provided adjacent the second lower portion for drainage of fluids that collect inside the drape.

Medical drape

A process for the manufacture of suture needles and, more particularly, a process for enhancing the physical strength of the suture needles through an expedient cold-working or cold-forming procedure. Also disclosed is the provision of a novel and physically strengthened suture needle, particularly a surgical suture needle possessing a curvilinear configuration wherein the cross-sectional configuration of the needle is cold-formed into varying shapes in order to produce a needle having superior physical characteristics and strengths imparted thereto through the inventive process. The needles are essentially cold formed, and which process includes the aspect of imparting to straight metal rods which are preferably constituted from stainless steel, manufacturing steps which include sharpening one end of rod severed segments so as to form the needle tip, thereafter curving the needle with the metal still being in a relatively ductile state, and subjecting the needle to a cold forming process, such as through the intermediary of pressure die molds or stamping, to produce varying cross-sectional shapes along the length of the needle.

Process for the manufacture of suture needles and needles produced

A taper point surgical needle having improved needle point strength is disclosed. In one embodiment of the needle, a tip portion includes first and second integral tapered regions having first and second cross-sectional areas respectively which decrease progressively toward the tip of the needle in accordance with first and second angles of inclination respectively, with the first angle being greater than the second angle. In another embodiment of the needle of the present invention, the tip portion includes a third tapered region integral with the second tapered region and having a cross-sectional area which decreases progressively toward the needle tip in accordance with a third angle of inclination which is smaller than the second angle.

Surgical suture needle of the taper point type

A blunt tip surgical needle which significantly reduces the probability of skin penetration of the gloved hand of an operator is disclosed. The blunt tip needle includes a tip portion having at least one flat surface. The flat surface(s) blends smoothly between each other and with the outer surface of the tip portion such that the entire tip portion has a continuously smooth outer surface lacking any discontinuities or sharp edges.

Surgical needle with decreased penetration

Blunt tip surgical needles which significantly reduce the probability of skin penetration of the gloved hand of an operator are disclosed. In one embodiment, the blunt tip needle includes a tip portion which terminates in a bulbous blunt tip. In another embodiment, the needle tip portion includes a ball socket and a ball rotatably disposed therein.

Blunt point needles

A polymer, particularly a biomedical polymer for the fabrication of medical and surgical devices and for use as a coating, is described. The polymer is derived from the reaction product of one or more lactone monomers and castor oil preferably: (a) .epsilon.-caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate or an ether lactone; (b) castor oil; and (c) glycolide, lactide or 1,4-dioxanone. The preferred polymer is derived from .epsilon.-caprolactone, castor oil, and glycolide. The polymer in preferred embodiments is ideally suited for use as a coating for a surgical suture, particularly an absorbable, braided multifilament suture and surgical needles. For this application, glycerol is advantageously added to the reactive monomer mix from which the polymer is derived.

Castor oil polymers

Surgical needles are fabricated from a shape memory alloy. The alloy has a low temperature state, in which the needle is formable into an elongated shape to pass through an elongated tube, and a high temperature state, in which the needle forms an arc. The needle is particularly adapted for use in endoscopic surgery. A needle that has a remembered curved shape is straightened and passed to a surgical site through a cannula. It is then returned to its curved shape by heating it at the surgical site. After use, it is withdrawn through the cannula.

Shape memory effect surgical needles

A spatulated needle is provided wherein a six-sided cross-sectional portion results from a parallel or tapered pair of upper and lower surfaces connected by needle walls and a pair of fluted edges. At the tapered end of the needle, the upper surface alternates resulting in a five-sided cross-section. This improved configuration results in ease of tissue penetration, minimized tissue distortion, and minimized wound trauma. The resultant needle therefore is desirable for usage with refined surgery such as ophthalmology, microsurgery and plastic surgery.

Surgical needle configuration with spatula geometry

A needle having ten edges, forming a star-shaped cross-section. The needle also presents a tapered end. With reduced cross-sectional area, the improved needle results in easier tissue penetration, better wound opening area performance, and minimized tissue distortion. In an alternate embodiment, wound opening is further reduced by creating an eight-sided, star-shaped needle cross-section.

Surgical needle configuration with star shaped cross-section

A unitary sterile surgical needle having a hardened cutting edge and a malleable center portion and body section.

Sterile surgical needles with a hard sharp cutting edge and method for

An improved surgical needle. The needle comprises a plurality of curves which provide for improved control while suturing.

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Flemington, NJ, United States of America

Walter McGregor