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:
Jul. 24, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 28, 1999
John F. Blanch, Tinton Falls, NJ (US);
Timothy P. Lenihan, Morrisville, PA (US);
David D. Demarest, Parsippany, NJ (US);
William F. Smith, Ringoes, NJ (US);
Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, NJ (US);
Abstract
A semi-automated machine for preparing double-armed sutures, i.e., a suture with a surgical needle at either end of the suture, from a bulk supply of surgical needles and an indefinite length of suture material 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 and cutting 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 drawing and cutting station automatically inserts an end of the indefinite length of suture into the first of the pair of needles that form the double-armed suture. A swage station is provided for swaging the needle to close the suture receiving opening about the suture to secure said suture thereto. The suture drawing and cutting station then cuts the indefinite length, and inverts the cut end for insertion into the second of the pair of needles. The swage station then swages the second needle to close the suture receiving opening about the suture to secure said suture thereto and thereby form the double-armed suture.