Patent ID: 7814630

Claim:
A swaging apparatus driven by a swaging machine with a pair of actuating surfaces that selectively converge to exert pressure and diverge to release pressure on the swaging apparatus for attaching a needle to a suture, the needle having a suture receptacle at one end for receiving the suture, which is retained therein by swaging the needle in the area of the suture receptacle, comprising: (A) a die assembly with a needle aperture therein, said needle aperture receiving the needle therein, said die assembly having a plurality of swage passageways therein communicating with the needle aperture and extending through the die assembly at a plurality of radial orientations relative to the needle aperture, and (B) a plurality of swaging elements each of which are insertable into corresponding ones of said plurality of swage passageways, each of said swaging elements having an end with at least one stake, at least one of said stakes on a first swaging element being laterally offset relative to said stakes on the remainder of said plurality of swaging elements.