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:
Sep. 20, 2011
Filed:
Dec. 13, 2007
Frank Richard Cichocki, Jr., Easton, PA (US);
David Demarest, Parsippany, NJ (US);
Gregory Hollin, Yardley, PA (US);
Eugene D. Reynolds, Avon by the Sea, NJ (US);
Frank Richard Cichocki, Jr., Easton, PA (US);
David Demarest, Parsippany, NJ (US);
Gregory Hollin, Yardley, PA (US);
Eugene D. Reynolds, Avon by the Sea, NJ (US);
Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, NJ (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for thermally treating a plurality of curved suture needles. The apparatus includes a conveyer for transferring the plurality of curved suture needles from a source of curved suture needles to a receiver, a housing positioned adjacent the conveyer, the housing having a first end, a second end, and an opening running from the first end to the second end, the opening aligned with the conveyer to enable the plurality of curved suture needles to pass therethrough, and a heat source located within the housing for heating the plurality of curved suture needles as the plurality of curved suture needles are transferred by the conveyer from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing. Also provided is a process for thermally treating a plurality of curved suture needles to enhance the stiffness and yield moment of the curved suture needles. The curved suture needles so treated have a desirable combination of stiffness, strength and ductility.