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:
Nov. 16, 1999
Filed:
Feb. 06, 1998
John F Blanch, Tinton Falls, NJ (US);
David D Demarest, Parsippany, NJ (US);
Robert A Daniele, Flemington, NJ (US);
Anthony Esteves, Somerville, NJ (US);
William F Smith, Ringoes, NJ (US);
Michael G Hodulik, Dunellen, NJ (US);
Teresa M Shaw, Lawrenceville, NJ (US);
George Horst Reinemuth, Glen Mills, PA (US);
Richard Paul Branco, Collegeville, PA (US);
Matthew Cafone, Edgewater Park, NJ (US);
Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, NJ (US);
Abstract
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.