NEEDLE-SUTURE ASSEMBLY AND PACKAGING SYSTEM

摘要

An automated machine for attaching a suture to a surgical needle having a suture receiving opening formed therein, and for packaging the same in a package tray comprises a first workstation including a device for sorting a plurality of needles and orienting each needle for automatic feeding to a second swaging workstation, a second workstation including a device for automatically cutting an indefinite length of suture material to a definite length and a device for automatically swaging the needle to close the suture receiving opening about a free end of the suture to secure the suture thereto and form a needle-suture assembly, a needle packaging station including a device for sequentially receiving at least one of the needlesuture assemblies in a package tray in synchronism with the second workstation, the needle packaging station having a device for automatically winding the depending suture portion of the needle-suture assembly into the package tray, a first indexing device for sequentially receiving individual oriented needles fed from the first workstation and transferring each of the needles from the first workstation to the second workstation to form the needle-suture assembly thereat, the first indexing device sequentially indexing the needle-suture assemblies from the second workstation to the needle packaging station.