Patent ID: 8062437

Claim:
A method of forming a refractory alloy into a surgical needle, said method comprising: providing an alloy metal needle blank, said needle blank comprising a refractory metal alloy; providing a heating fixture, the heating fixture comprising: an upper insulating member having a top side, a bottom side and a cavity extending up from the bottom side, the member having a die passage extending therethrough for receiving a die; a lower insulating member having a top side, a bottom side and a cavity extending down from the top side, the member having a die passage extending therethrough for receiving a die; an insulator block having a cavity and a pair of opposed needle slots, the block having a passage extending therethrough for receiving at least one die; a heater element block mounted in the cavity of the insulator block, said heater element block having a longitudinal needle slot substantially in alignment with the opposed slots of the insulator block, said heater element block having a die passage extending therethrough and intersecting the slot for receiving at least one die; and, a RF induction source member, wherein the insulator block containing the heater element and the RF induction source member are mounted in the cavities between the upper and lower insulating members to form an inductive heating fixture such that there is a slot between the upper and lower insulating members in alignment with the opposed slots of the insulating block and the slot of the heater element block, and such that the die passages of the lower insulating member, the insulating block, the heater element, and the upper insulating member are substantially in alignment; heating at least a section of the needle blank to a temperature above the ductile to a brittle transition temperature, but below the recrystallization temperature of the alloy; and, mechanically forming the needle blank into a surgical needle.