Method and Apparatus for Heat Tipping Sutures

摘要

A heat tipping method and apparatus for surgical sutures (13,20) to facilitate inserting the sutures (13) into the barrel ends (15) of surgical needles (11). The method comprises tensioning the suture (20), heating a portion (20a) of the suture (20) to be heat stipped by blowing a current of hot air (31,37) across the portion (20a) of the suture (20), and releasing the tension and cutting (51) the portion (20a) of the suture (20) to create heat tipped ends (20b,20c). The apparatus comprises a cylindrical drum (21) around which the suture (20) is wound, a concave channel (22) in the drum (21) for delimiting a portion (20a) of the suture (20) to be heated, and hot air blowers (37) for heating the delimited portions (20a) of the suture (20) to a heat tipping temperature.