Control system for an automatic needle-suture assembly and packaging machine
US5487216A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 13, 1994 |
| Grant date | Jan 30, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 13, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T83/2187
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus for automatically forming a plurality of needle-suture assemblies out of a plurality of unsorted needles and an indefinite length strand of suture material, and, automatically positioning them within a package tray, comprises a first machine located at a first location for sorting a plurality of randomly oriented needles and orienting each needle for automatic handling at a first predetermined location, a second machine located at a second predetermined location for automatically drawing and cutting an indefinite length strand of suture material and automatically inserting a free end thereof into a suture receiving opening of the needle, and swaging the needle about the sutures to form a needle suture assembly, and a first indexing device for sequentially receiving individual oriented needles at the first location and transporting each of the needles from the first location to the second location to form the needle-suture assemblies. A second indexing device is provided for registering an empty package tray at a third location for sequentially receiving one or more of the needle-suture assemblies from the first indexing device. A control system computer enables the fir…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.