Abstract: A method of attaching a surgical suture to a needle and testing the attachment includes dispensing a length of suture from a spool by using a first suture gripper, and using a surgical needle gripper for holding a surgical needle stationary. A leading end of the suture is inserted into and attached to a receiving end of the surgical needle. A second suture gripper is located between the first suture gripper and the spool. After the second suture gripper is closed for gripping the suture, the second suture gripper is advanced downstream toward the surgical needle to reduce the tension on the suture. The tension on the suture is reduced by moving the second suture gripper a pre-determined distance. The first suture gripper is opened for releasing the suture and the first suture gripper is moved toward the suture spool for re-grasping the suture at a location between the second gripper and the suture spool.

Abstract: A method of attaching a surgical suture to a needle and testing the attachment includes dispensing a length of suture from a spool by using a first suture gripper, and using a surgical needle gripper for holding a surgical needle stationary. A leading end of the suture is inserted into and attached to a receiving end of the surgical needle. A second suture gripper is located between the first suture gripper and the spool. After the second suture gripper is closed for gripping the suture, the second suture gripper is advanced downstream toward the surgical needle to reduce the tension on the suture. The tension on the suture is reduced by moving the second suture gripper a pre-determined distance. The first suture gripper is opened for releasing the suture and the first suture gripper is moved toward the suture spool for re-grasping the suture at a location between the second gripper and the suture spool.

Abstract: A method of attaching a surgical suture to a needle and testing the attachment includes dispensing a length of suture from a spool by using a first suture gripper, and using a surgical needle gripper for holding a surgical needle stationary. A leading end of the suture is inserted into and attached to a receiving end of the surgical needle. A second suture gripper is located between the first suture gripper and the spool. After the second suture gripper is closed for gripping the suture, the second suture gripper is advanced downstream toward the surgical needle to reduce the tension on the suture. The tension on the suture is reduced by moving the second suture gripper a pre-determined distance. The first suture gripper is opened for releasing the suture and the first suture gripper is moved toward the suture spool for re-grasping the suture at a location between the second gripper and the suture spool.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming armed sutures has a swaging station for receiving, holding and swaging needles that are deposited therein. A linear motor drives a suture insertion gripper, which pulls suture from a supply reel and inserts a cut end thereof into a needle held in the swaging station. A ganged needle transfer assembly with a plurality of spaced needle gripper units carries needles along a line substantially at right angles to the suture line and transfers them to and from the swaging station and other needle processing stations. A precisor orients needles prior to placement in the swaging station and a pull test assembly tests armed sutures in both destructive and non-destructive modes. Both ends of the production line may be automated, e.g., by robots which load and offload needles prior to and after swaging, respectively. The apparatus is capable of forming double armed sutures by using a rotatable mount for the suture insertion gripper and a secondary, loop gripper.

Abstract: A machine, and operating procedures for a machine, for automatically threading, swaging and packaging surgical needles. A first mechanism is used to suture the needles and to pull test the needles to determine if certain maximum and minimum pull test requirements are met. The sutured needles are then transferred to packages on a second mechanism, and that mechanism indexes the packages through a series of stations to complete the packaging of the needles. Various checks are made at the packaging mechanism before that mechanism is operated to index the needle packages; and different items at the station used to pull test the needles, are monitored to determine if they return timely to predetermined positions. Also, check are made at the station at which the needles are transferred to the packages, to be sure that those items are in preferred positions before the packages are moved.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a fuel delivery system having a fuel pump for providing an unregulated flow of fuel at a pressure and a metering valve receiving the unregulated flow of fuel and providing a regulated flow of fuel consists of a bi-level hydraulic pressurization system for controlling the output pressure of a fuel supply which includes a pressure regulating valve for maintaining a constant pressure differential across the metering valve by bypassing unregulated fuel from the metering valve input to the pump inlet. The pressurization valve controls the pressure of the regulated fuel output to the engine and is responsive to a signal indicative of an excess flow of unregulated fuel to control the fuel output to a first set point when the excess flow of unregulated fuel is less than a predetermined value and to a second set point when the excess flow of fuel is greater than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A machine, and operating procedures for a machine, for automatically threading, swaging and packaging surgical needles. A first mechanism is used to suture the needles and to pull test the needles to determine if certain maximum and minimum pull test requirements are met. The sutured needles are then transferred to packages on a second mechanism, and that mechanism indexes the packages through a series of stations to complete the packaging of the needles. Various checks are made at the packaging mechanism before that mechanism is operated to index the needle packages; and different items at the station used to pull test the needles, are monitored to determine if they return timely to predetermined positions. Also, check are made at the station at which the needles are transferred to the packages, to be sure that those items are in preferred positions before the packages are moved.

Abstract: A semi-automated machine for preparing double-armed sutures, i.e., a suture with a surgical needle at either end of the suture, from a bulk supply of surgical needles and an indefinite length of suture material is described. Each of the surgical needles has a suture receiving opening formed therein for receiving a suture. The machine includes a needle singulation station, a precise positioning station, a suture feeding and cutting station, a swage station, a pull-test station and an off-load station. A universal gripper mounted on a rotary indexing device automatically receives each individual needle in a predetermined orientation and conveys the needle for sequential processing from station to station to form the needle-suture assembly. A suture drawing and cutting station automatically inserts an end of the indefinite length of suture into the first of the pair of needles that form the double-armed suture.

Abstract: Methods and systems for packaging surgical needles. In this system, a plurality of packages are indexed, by means of a package carrier, through a plurality of work stations, at which various operations are performed on the packages. In particular, at each work station, an operating device is moved from a home position to an operating position to perform an operation on the package: and after finishing the operation, the operating device is returned to the home positions. With all of the operating devices in their respective home positions, the package carrier can then be moved to index the packages forward. Each of the work stations generates a respective return home signal when the operating device of the work station returns to its home position.

Abstract: Methods and procedures for varying parameters at a work station where different size and/or type needles are automatically sutured to different size and/or type sutures, such as: a method and system for applying a predetermined, given tension to different size and/or type sutures; a system and method for inserting a suture into different size and/or type needles to a predetermined, given depth; and a method and system to cool different size and/or type sutures for a predetermined, given length of time. Values for these parameters may be stored in a supervisor computer and then transmitted to controllers to operate the work station with these parameter values for each of a plurality of different size and/or type sutures and/or needles.

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

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

Abstract: An automated machine for the high-speed packaging of multiple surgical needles each with an attached suture into a tray and detachable cover structure providing a suture package utilized for the packaging of the needles and attached sutures. Additionally, the automated packaging machine incorporates operative mechanism adapted to wind the sutures into a peripheral channel of the tray and facilitating the attachment of the cover to the tray which contains the needles and attached wound sutures, and from which cover there is concurrently formed a separate product-identifying label as a component of the tray upon removal of the cover to gain access to the contents of the tray.

Abstract: An automated machine for the high-speed packaging of multiple surgical needles each with an attached suture into a tray and detachable cover structure providing a suture package utilized for the packaging of the needles and attached sutures. Additionally, the automated packaging machine incorporates operative mechanism adapted to wind the sutures into a peripheral channel of the tray and facilitating the attachment of the cover to the tray which contains the needles and attached wound sutures, and from which cover there is concurrently formed a separate product-identifying label as a component of the tray upon removal of the cover to gain access to the contents of the tray.