Stand alone swage dial assembly
US5937504A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 30, 1997 |
| Grant date | Aug 17, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 30, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/5142
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
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. 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. The rotary indexing device includes two coaxial cam dials that provide rotation and reciprocation of the universal gripper, and an off-set drive is provided at two locations for laterally off setting the radial reciprocation of the universal gripper. This off set is necessary to enable the universal gripper to place and receive needles in a fixed jaw having a die opening or needle gripping opening formed therein. A swage station is provided for swaging the needle to close the suture receiving opening about the suture to secure said su…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.