Abstract: A guide instrument for passing a medical needle with thread through or between body tissues has first and second shafts mounted to be pivotally movable to each other and is formed with, on the first shaft, a needle stand for making the needle with thread stand up and holding the needle with thread, a hole for guiding the thread, and a slit and with, on the second shaft, a needle receiver for receiving the needle when the shafts are made close while the needle with thread stands up at the needle stand. When the shafts 1, 2 are made close while the needle with thread stands up at the needle stand, the needle with thread passes through and between the body tissues and is engaged with the needle receiver. When the shafts are made open, the needle with thread while keeping the engagement with the needle receiver separates from the needle stand, and therefore, the needle with thread can be guided from the first shaft to the second shaft.

Abstract: Diamond bur A has base metal 1 formed with cylindrical shank 1b on one side of diamond bur A, and cutting portion 1a formed on base metal 1 on the other side of diamond bur A extending over a given length from an end of diamond A. A mixture 2 of various abrasive grains with three different grain sizes are secured to cutting portion 1a. Since various abrasive grains with different grain sizes are secured to cutting portion 1a, with the increase of load applied on artificial tooth, the number of abrasive grains contributing to cutting increases, and the machinability is improved. This tendency is equal to the machinability of the diamond bur on the market for cutting human dentin, or dental enamel.

Abstract: There is provided a rotary drilling instrument having uniform hardness, free from rust, and made of austenitic stainless steel possessing a hardness substantially the same as quenched steel or quenched martensitic stainless steel. The rotary drilling instrument is formed with a cutting section formed at one end of a body, a shank formed at the other end of the body, and a neck portion formed between the cutting section and the shank. The rotary drilling instrument is made of austenitic stainless steel having a fibriform organization elongated in a longitudinal direction and has a surface having a predetermined hardness.

Abstract: A surgical needle has a top edge formed by two pressed faces located inside or outside of curvature from pressing a material blank made of austenitic stainless steel having fibrous texture and cutting edges formed on both sides of a base. The top edge is sharp at a needle point and the sharp needle point is constituted of fibrous texture formed at the surface layer of the material blank. Grinding marks extending crosswise formed on the face of the mold are transferred to the pressed faces. A mold constitutes plural faces forming projecting angles (angle between two intersecting faces is 180.degree. or below, and the line at which the two faces intersect is made as a projecting line) along edges of the blocks made of two rectangular prisms, and constitutes a cavity by suitably contacting the edges of the blocks.

Abstract: A surgical needle for sutural treatment having a triangle or polygon body in cross section, including a blunt needle point with a plate or round end and at least two cutting edges to prevent a health care provider from mistakenly hurting themselves even if the needle comes into contact with the tissue of the health care provide, and to provide a property that enables the needle to pass smoothly through tissues. A first face of the body may be ground by a grinding apparatus specially made for the surgical needle to form a tapered slope and the cutting edges. By pressing a material piece of the needle in a V-shaped groove it forms a second and third face and readily produces a high quality surgical needle.

Abstract: A suture guide used for inserting a suture into a hole of an eyeless needle positioned between an upper guide and a lower guide. This suture guide comprises a first guide member having a certain plane and the second guide member having a first plane positioned lower than the plane of the first guide member and a second plane crossing the first plane, This suture guide also has fixing means combining the first guide member and the second member together to form a guide having a guiding corner with the plane of the first guide member and the second plane of the second member and the guide disposed next to the lower mold to face the guiding corner to the hole of the eyeless needle. A positioning mechanism of a suture guide for inserting a suture into a hole of an eyeless needle positioned between an upper guide and a lower guide is desirable for the suture guide.

Abstract: A crimping apparatus for crimping a root end of an eyeless needle to fix a medical suture between an upper mold and lower mold. This apparatus comprises a swing arm disposed in parallel with the root end of the eyeless needle and the upper mold fixed to the swing arm. This apparatus also comprises a pivoting axis of the swing arm, being long enough to a crimping length of the eyeless needle. This pivoting axis is disposed far enough from the upper mold.

Abstract: There are disclosed a method of and apparatus for grinding an elongated material for a suture needle. An elongated grinding tape is reciprocally moved in its longitudinal direction, and simultaneously the material is pressed against the grinding tape in such a manner that the material is disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the grinding tape and is inclined relative to one face of the grinding tape, thereby grinding the material to form a cutting edge on at least one side edge of a grounded surface of the material.

Abstract: In a medical stapler, an anvil is disposed in the vicinity of an opening in a casing, and is disposed in a path of movement of a ram. A foremost staple placed on the anvil is shaped through the cooperation of the advancing ram with the anvil in such a manner that a pair of legs of this foremost staple are moved toward each other. The anvil has a shaping surface disposed in opposed relation to the ram. This shaping surface is inclined relative to the path of movement of the ram in such a manner as to approach the ram progressively toward the distal end of the shaping surface.

Abstract: In the production of a suture needle, a distal end portion of an elongated material is ground into a generally quadrangular pyramid shape. Then, the distal end portion of the elongated material is further ground into a generally triangular-pyramid shape, so that the distal or foremost end of the elongated material is positively pointed. The suture needle has four main surfaces and an auxiliary surface. The above triangular-pyramid shape is defined by two of the main surfaces and the auxiliary surface.

Abstract: There are disclosed a method of and apparatus for grinding an elongated material for a suture needle. An elongated grinding tape is reciprocally moved in its longitudinal direction, and simultaneously the material is pressed against the grinding tape in such a manner that the material is disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the grinding tape and is inclined relative to one face of the grinding tape, thereby grinding the material to form a cutting edge on at least one side edge of a grounded surface of the material.

Abstract: A medical stapler includes a front wall having an opening at a lower end portion thereof. A mirror is mounted in the vicinity of an upper edge of this opening. A straight line, representing a wound pinched by a pincette by the operator, is reflected on the mirror. The operator adjusts the posture of the stapler so that the straight line of the actual wound can be aligned with the straight line reflected on the mirror, and in this condition the staple is shaped so as to effect the suturing of the wound.

Abstract: A surgical suture needle of the taper point type includes a proximal end portion defining a gut-mounting portion having a hole to which a gut is to be attached, an intermediate portion defining a main body portion having a generally uniform cross-sectional area throughout an entire length thereof, and a distal end portion defining a tapered portion whose cross-sectional area decreases progressively toward a distal end of the suture needle which is pointed. In order to enhance the ability of the suture needle to pierce into an artificial blood vessel, the length of the tapered portion is not less than 9D where D represents a diameter of an imaginary circle having the same cross-sectional area as that of the main body portion. Also, in view of the bending strength of the suture needle, the length of the tapered portion is less than 2/3L where L represents the overall length of the suture needle.

Abstract: A dental handpiece includes an arm, and a hollow head formed on a distal end of the arm. The head has a nozzle projecting from an inner surface thereof. Cooling water, fed via a main coolant passageway of the arm, is injected from the nozzle. A generally cylindrical holder for supporting a dental burr is rotatably supported within the head. The cooling water injected from the nozzle passes through an auxiliary coolant passageway, formed axially through the dental burr, and is injected from a grinding portion of the dental burr. The dental handpiece also includes a pump mechanism for feeding the cooling water. Injected from the nozzle, into the auxiliary coolant passageway of the dental burr. The pump mechanism includes a screw mounted on the outer periphery of the nozzle, and a pump housing which is mounted on one end portion of the holder disposed close to the nozzle and surrounds the screw.

Abstract: A dental burr has an axis of rotation and a cooling water passage extending therethrough in coaxial relation to the dental burr. The cooling water passage opens to a front end face of the dental burr, and this opening in the front end of the dental burr is disposed in an area including the axis of rotation of the dental burr. A dental handpiece for rotatably holding a dental burr includes a handgrip portion, a hollow head portion provided at a front end of the handgrip portion, and a cooling water passage. This cooling water passage extends along the handgrip portion,and opens at one end to a rear end of the handgrip portion while the other end thereof is connected to an internal space of the head portion. Part of the internal space serves as a passage for communicating the cooling water passage of the dental handpiece with the cooling water passage of the dental burr held by the dental handpiece.

Abstract: There is disclosed a surgical stapler. An anvil is mounted on a distal end portion of an elongated body of the stapler. A guide member supports a number of staples disposed in contiguous relation to one another. The staples are urged toward the anvil by an urging mechanism. A ram is mounted on the body for movement along the longitudinal axis of the body. A lever is pivotally mounted on the body, and the pivotal movement of the lever is converted into a rectilinear movement of the ram by a motion converting mechanism. The ram, when advanced, cooperates with the anvil to deform the staple disposed in a path of movement of the ram. In order to achieve a lightweight and small-size construction of the stapler, the lever is pivotally connected at its proximal end to the proximal end portion of the body so that the lever is pivotally movable toward and away from the body, and a distal end portion of the lever serves as a manipulating portion.

Abstract: For annealing a proximal end portion of a needle material for a suture needle, an energy beam is applied to a proximal end face of the needle material. There can be used a common oscillator which emits a laser beam for forming a gut-mounting hole in the proximal end portion of the needle material, and also emits a laser beam for effecting the above annealing. In this case, a converter is used for changing a path of travel of the laser beam. Namely, for forming the mounting hole, the laser beam from the oscillator is supplied to the proximal end face of the needle material through a condenser lens. For effecting the annealing, the laser beam is smoothed by a smoothing member, and is applied to the proximal end face of the needle material. In the case where the common oscillator is used, the needle material may be moved along the axis of the needle material.

Abstract: In a surgical needle, marks of welding are left as they are on a welded portion between needle and pipe members so that the welded portion has a surface distinguishable from peripheral surfaces of the respective needle and pipe members. The welded portion may be composed of a plurality of peripherally spaced welded parts. In a manufacturing method of the surgical needle, a beam energy is applied from a beam energy emitting arrangement, toward an abutting line between the needle and pipe members, from a direction substantially perpendicular to the needle and pipe members, thereby welding them to each other. In a manufacturing apparatus, a rotational support arrangement is provided for supporting the needle and pipe members in such a manner that end faces of the respective needle and pipe members are abutted against each other at a location coincident with an optical axis of the laser beam, and for rotating the needle and pipe members about their respective axes.

Abstract: In a surgical needle, marks of welding are left as they are on a welded portion between needle and pipe members so that the welded portion has a surface distinguishable from peripheral surfaces of the respective needle and pipe members. The welded portion may be composed of a plurality of peripherally spaced welded parts. In a manufacturing method of the surgical needle, a beam energy is applied from a beam energy emitting arrangement, toward an abutting line between the needle and pipe members, from a direction substantially perpendicular to the needle and pipe members, thereby welding them to each other. In a manufacturing apparatus, a rotational support arrangement is provided for supporting the needle and pipe members in such a manner that end faces of the respective needle and pipe members are abutted against each other at a location coincident with an optical axis of the laser beam, and for rotating the needle and pipe members about their respective axes.