Automatic surgical needle and suture loading machine

US6807796B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Ethicon, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Clifford Dey · Flemington, US
• Robert J. Cerwin · Wantage, US
• Thomas J. Zingale · Pieter Appelplein, US
• Konstantin Ivanov · Edison, US
• Delfin A. Lorenzo Iglesias · San Juan, US
• Manfred Hild · Schorndorf, DE
• Manfred Reiser · Winnenden, DE
• Bernard Wachter · Kings Point, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 21, 2003
• Grant date: Oct 26, 2004
• Expiry date: Jul 21, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B2017/06052
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A machine and method for loading surgical needles having attached sutures into a package. The machine has a rotating disk mounted to a frame. The disk has circumferential grooves for receiving a suture. The machine has a block slidably mounted to the machine for receiving a needle and transporting it to a motion device. The motion device moves the needle to a package on a packaging machine. Rotation of the package by the packaging machine causes the suture to move out of the grooves and into the package.