Process for manufacturing taper point surgical needles

US5630268A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Ethicon, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Daniel J. Smith · Manalapan, US
• Bernard M. Willis · East Brunswick Township, US
• Kenneth P. Marschke, Jr. · Medford, US
• Barry Littlewood · Harmony, US
• Vulgens Schoen · Hackettstown, US
• Carl Gucker · Readington, US
• Michael Nordmeyer · Pittstown, US
• Thaddeus Miklewicz · Nazareth, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 7, 1995
• Grant date: May 20, 1997
• Expiry date: Jun 7, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T83/0505
• WIPO field: Machine tools
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A process for manufacturing surgical needles from solid, cylindrical needle blanks. A plurality of needle blanks are cut from a roll of wire and mounted to a flat carrier strip. The carrier strip then indexes each needle blank to a grinding station where an orbital grinding means grinds the distal end of each needle blank into a taper point while the needle blanks are held fixed in the carrier strip.