摘要:
A suture package is designed to facilitate automated loading of multiple needles (2) and sutures (4) into the package. The package includes a tray (10,20), for containing the needles (2) and sutures (4), and a cover (50). The sutures (4) are contained in a peripheral channel (16) of the tray (10,20) and an array of resilient cantilevered fingers (24) prevent the sutures (4) from lifting up out of the channel (16). Needle parks (34,36) retain the needles (2) that are attached to the sutures (4). In another embodiment of the invention, a package for retaining a wound suture (4) and attached needle (2) includes a tray for containing the needle (2) and suture (4), including cover-latching elements (40) that each have two vertical surfaces. Tabs (52) on the removable cover (50) each contact a surface of a corresponding latching element (40) and have a free element that engages a shoulder (41) of the element (40).
摘要:
A control system for a needle infeed device for automatically transferring needles randomly positioned on an indexing conveyor to an engagement device for subsequent conveyance to a processing location. The needle infeed device comprises one or more robots each having a gripper means for picking and placing the needles in the engagement device. The control system comprises a control device for pausing the indexing conveyor to create a dwell cycle for the infeed device, vision tracking apparatus in communication with the control device for imaging needles at one or more predetermined locations on the indexing conveyor and for determining positional and orientation data for each recognized needle during the dwell cycle, a memory device for temporarily storing the positional and orientation data received from the vision tracking device, and, a robot control device for accessing the stored positional and orientation data corresponding to the imaged needles from the memory means and for enabling one of the robots to pick up the imaged needle in accordance with its respective positional and orientation data in order to place the needle in the engagement device.
摘要:
An automated machine for attaching a suture to a surgical needle comprises a first apparatus located at a first predetermined location for sorting a plurality of randomly oriented needles and orienting each needle for automatic handling at a first predetermined location, each of the needles having a suture receiving opening formed therein. A second apparatus located at a second predetermined location is provided for automatically cutting an indefinite length of suture material to a definite length suture strand and for automatically inserting an end of the definite length suture strand into the suture receiving opening formed in the needle. Also provided is a third apparatus 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. An indexing device automatically receives each individual needle in a predetermined orientation at the first predetermined location and conveys the needle for sequential processing from the first to the second locations to form the needle-suture assembly.
摘要:
An apparatus for cutting an indefinite length suture strand to uniform lengths for subsequent threading and swaging to a surgical needle includes a drawing tower having at least one guide member defining a drawing axis parallel thereto. First and second gripping devices are provided to grip the indefinite length suture strand and draw it along the drawing axis; each gripping device mounted for reciprocal movement on at least one guide member. A retractable cutter for cutting the indefinite length article is also provided for cutting the strand at a start position along the drawing axis. The indefinite length suture strand is fed to the drawing axis and drawn a predetermined distance beyond the location of the retractable cutter for positioning within a suture receiving opening formed in the surgical needle, while the second gripping device reciprocates to a start position along the drawing axis. The indefinite length suture strand is then inserted within the suture receiving opening of the needle and cut to a predetermined length by the retractable cutter after the second gripping means has gripped the indefinite length suture strand at the start position.
摘要:
A suture winding fixture is disclosed. The suture winding apparatus has a base plate. Fixedly mounted perpendicular to the base plate is a pivot shaft. Rotatably mounted to the pivot shaft is a cam housing frame member. A first opposed cavity in the frame member has a first cam shaft and first set of cams. A second opposed cavity Each cam shaft is rotatably mounted to the frame within the cavities. The frame also has a central cavity for receiving the pivot shaft. Fixedly mounted to the top of the pivot shaft in the central cavity is a pinion gear. The pinion gear engages a pair of opposed bevel gears, wherein each opposed bevel gear is mounted to an end of a cam shaft. Mounted to the top of the housing frame member is a package support member containing a plurality of winding pin holes. The package support member is shaped to conform to the dimensions of a suture winding tray having a top surface with a winding channel in which it is desired to load or wind a suture. Winding pins are mounted to a plurality of nested concentric cage plate members movably mounted on top of the frame. The nested cage plate members are sequentially engaged on their bottom sides by cam followers which are in turn engaged by the cams. Mounted to the top of the winding fixture after a package tray has been placed upon the package support member is a winding funnel member.
摘要:
An method and apparatus for automatically forming a plurality of needle-suture assemblies out of a plurality of unsorted needles and an indefinite length strand of suture material, and, automatically positioning them within a package tray, comprises a first machine located at a first location for sorting a plurality of randomly oriented needles and orienting each needle for automatic handling at a first predetermined location, a second machine located at a second predetermined location for automatically drawing and cutting an indefinite length strand of suture material and automatically inserting a free end thereof into a suture receiving opening of the needle, and swaging the needle about the sutures to form a needle suture assembly, and a first indexing device for sequentially receiving individual oriented needles at the first location and transporting each of the needles from the first location to the second location to form the needle-suture assemblies. A second indexing device is provided for registering an empty package tray at a third location for sequentially receiving one or more of the needle-suture assemblies from the first indexing device. A control system computer enables the first indexing device to sequentially transport the needle-suture assemblies from the second location to the third location, and enables the sequential insertion of the needle-suture assemblies to the package tray while registered at the third location.