The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 29, 1997
Filed:
Mar. 29, 1996
Clifford A Dey, San Angelo, TX (US);
Robert J Cerwin, Pipersville, PA (US);
J Mark Findlay, San Angelo, TX (US);
Konstantin K Ivanov, Bound Brook, NJ (US);
Robert Nunez, Asbury, NJ (US);
Donald Pompei, Montville, NJ (US);
William R Reinhardt, Belle Mead, NJ (US);
Mehmet Reyhan, E. Windsor, NJ (US);
David A Szabo, Branchburg, NJ (US);
Ethicon, Inc., Summerville, NJ (US);
Abstract
A method for making sterile suture packages employs a frame assembly line, a sterilization line and a blanker/cartoner line. A web of foil is advanced in a series of movements through the frame assembly line to assemble a frame containing needle-suture assemblies in a plurality of cavities in the frame, the frame having top and bottom aluminum foils with heat seal coatings on their facing surfaces. The cavities are formed in the bottom foil of each frame by a combination of pressurized air and mechanical plugs which are forced against the bottom foil and an underlying die having recesses for defining the cavities. A blanking operation following sterilization and sealing separates individual packages, each containing one needle-suture assembly, from the frame. The packages are then conveyed by belts through inspection stations and reoriented for loading into shipping cartons.