Patents by Inventor Dennis P. Yost

Dennis P. Yost has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Robotic control system for a needle sorting and feeding apparatus
    Patent number: 5568593
    Abstract: A control system for a needle infeed device for automatically transferring needles randomly positioned on an indexing conveyor to an engagement device for subsequent conveyance to a processing location. The needle infeed device comprises one or more robots each having a gripper means for picking and placing the needles in the engagement device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1996
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventors: David Demarest, Dennis P. Yost
  • Assembly and packaging method for needle and suture assemblies
    Patent number: 5487212
    Abstract: An automated machine for attaching a suture to a surgical needle having a suture receiving opening formed therein, and for packaging the same in a package tray comprises a first workstation including a device for sorting a plurality of needles and orienting each needle for automatic feeding to a second swaging workstation, a second workstation including a device for automatically cutting an indefinite length of suture material to a definite length and a device for automatically swaging the needle to close the suture receiving opening about a free end of the suture to secure the suture thereto and form a needle-suture assembly, a needle packaging station including a device for sequentially receiving at least one of the needle-suture assemblies in a package tray in synchronism with the second workstation, the needle packaging station having a device for automatically winding the depending suture portion of the needle-suture assembly into the package tray, a first indexing device for sequentially receiving indiv
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1996
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventors: David Demarest, Robert B. Duncan, Martin Sobel, Timothy P. Lenihan, William Rattan, John F. Blanch, Michael G. Hodulik, Dennis P. Yost
  • Needle-suture assembly and packaging system
    Patent number: 5473810
    Abstract: An automated machine for attaching a suture to a surgical needle having a suture receiving opening formed therein, and for packaging the same in a package tray comprises a first workstation including a device for sorting a plurality of needles and orienting each needle for automatic feeding to a second swaging workstation, a second workstation including a device for automatically cutting an indefinite length of suture material to a definite length and a device for automatically swaging the needle to close the suture receiving opening about a free end of the suture to secure the suture thereto and form a needle-suture assembly, a needle packaging station including a device for sequentially receiving at least one of the needle-suture assemblies in a package tray in synchronism with the second workstation, the needle packaging station having a device for automatically winding the depending suture portion of the needle-suture assembly into the package tray, a first indexing device for sequentially receiving indiv
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventors: David Demarest, Robert B. Duncan, Martin Sobel, Timothy P. Lenihan, William Rattan, John F. Blanch, Michael G. Hodulik, Dennis P. Yost