Metal working – Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for... – Binding or covering and cutting
Patent
1997-04-30
1999-06-15
Pitts, Andrea L.
Metal working
Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus including means for...
Binding or covering and cutting
29 33P, 29517, 295647, 163 1, B21B 1500
Patent
active
059114495
ABSTRACT:
A semi-automated machine for singulating individual surgical needles from an bulk supply and attaching a suture to the surgical needle 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 station, a swage station, a pull-test station and an off-load station. The singulation station has a sliding surface that assists an operator in singulating needles and depositing them in a pair of drop locations for subsequent automatic handling. Indexing conveyors, an articulated robot and a precision conveyor are used with a pre-positioning and a precise positioning station for orienting each needle for automatic handling. 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 swage station is provided for swaging the needle to close the suture receiving opening about the suture to secure said suture thereto and form therefrom a needle and suture assembly. A final off-load station provides an apparatus for assembling a predetermined number of need-suture assemblies in a bundle for subsequent packaging.
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Daniele Robert A.
Demarest David D.
Esteves Anthony
Ethicon Inc.
Kirkman Christopher
Pitts Andrea L.
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