发明名称 |
Stand alone swage apparatus |
摘要 |
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 singulation station having 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 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 suture feeding and cutting station automatically cuts an indefinite length of suture material to a definite length suture strand and automatically inserts an end of the definite length suture strand into the suture receiving opening formed in the needle. 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 suture pull-test station test each needle suture bond, and selectively and destructively tests the bond for adjusting the swage dies and for statistical quality control. 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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申请公布号 |
EP0875207(A2) |
申请公布日期 |
1998.11.04 |
申请号 |
EP19980303353 |
申请日期 |
1998.04.29 |
申请人 |
ETHICON, INC. |
发明人 |
ESTEVES, ANTHONY;BLANCH, JOHN;DANIELE, ROBERT A.;DEMAREST, DAVID D.;SHAW, TERESA |
分类号 |
A61B17/00;A61B17/06;B21G1/08;(IPC1-7):A61B17/06 |
主分类号 |
A61B17/00 |
代理机构 |
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代理人 |
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主权项 |
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地址 |
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