Patent ID: 6081981
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: A61B,B65B,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for automatically forming armed surgical needles and for automatically packaging the same in a packaging tray, said automatic forming and packaging operations taking place in a needle-suture assembly and packaging machine operating under control of a control computer, each said armed surgical needle comprising a surgical needle having a suture receiving opening formed in a barrel end of said needle for attachment of a definite length suture material thereto at said needle-suture assembly machine, said method comprising the steps of:(a) singulating a plurality of needles and depositing them on an indexing conveyor in random un-oriented positions;(b) determining an acceptable needle location for picking up a needle, said acceptable needle location including a barrel end of said needle;(c) enabling a robot gripper means to sequentially pick up said needles at said barrel end and place a said picked needle in a precision conveyor device for automatic sequential conveyance to a first station, said needle being conveyed in an oriented position;(d) utilizing a first indexing device for sequentially indexing said needle in said oriented position from said first station to a second station to form said armed needle, said first indexing device being elevated in height for movement along a first horizontal axis;(e) at said second station, automatically inserting a free end of an indefinite length suture strand into said suture receiving opening of said needle, swaging the needle about said free end of said suture, and cutting said indefinite length suture strand to a predetermined definite length to form said armed needle;(f) indexing said first indexing device to a subsequent station and sequentially inserting a single formed armed needle from said second station to a respective single packaging tray at said subsequent station; and,(g) prior to inserting said armed needle in said packaging tray, the step of utilizing a second indexing device for sequentially indexing a said single packaging tray at said subsequent station for receiving a respective single armed needle, an elevation of said second indexing device being adjusted relative to the first horizontal axis so as to accommodate the transferring of differently sized surgical needles into said tray without substantially modifying any components of the machine.