Patent ID: 6138053
Filing Date: 2000-10-24
Classification: A61B,G05B

Abstract:
A method for packaging surgical needles, in which a plurality of packages are indexed, by moving a package carrier, to a plurality of work stations, each of the work stations including an operating device moveable between home and operating positions, the method comprising the steps of:moving the operating devices from the home positions to the operating positions to perform operations on the packages, one of said operations including the step of inserting a surgical needle into said package;finishing said operations;after the operations are finished, returning the operating devices to the home positions;each of the work stations generating a respective return home signal when the operating device of the work station returns to the home position of the operating device;monitoring to determine whether return home signals have been generated indicating that all of the operating devices have returned to their respective home positions; andif return home signals have been generated indicating that all of the operating devices have returned to their respective home positions, moving the package carrier to move each package thereon to another one of the work stations.