Apparatus for forming barbs on a suture

• US 20040226427A1
• Filed: 05/13/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Quill Medical, Inc. (Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Incorporated)
• Inventors: Williams, Robert C. III, Genova, Perry, Trull, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,624,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 83/651
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06176 with protrusions, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/0006 Cutting members therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 2001/006 the cutting blade having a special shape, e.g. a special outline, serrations
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/01 Means for holding or positioning work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/20 Fence barb making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/29 Coated or structually defined flake, particle, cell, strand, strand portion, rod, filament, macroscopic fiber or mass thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/929 Tool or tool with support

Abstract

An apparatus for cutting barbs into a suture having a filament supply. The apparatus also has an in-feed collet for holding one end of a filament threaded therethrough. Further the apparatus has an out-feed collet for holding a second end of a filament threaded therethrough. Additionally, the apparatus has a holder positioned between said in-feed and out-feed collets for holding a filament suspended between the in-feed and out-feed collets. The apparatus also has a cutting assembly for cutting barbs in the filament tensioned between the in-feed and out-feed collets.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cutting barbs into a suture comprising:

a filament supply means;

an in-feed collet for holding one end of a filament threaded therethrough;

an out-feed collet for holding a second end of a filament threaded therethrough;

a holder positioned between said in-feed and out-feed collets for holding a filament suspended between them; and

a cutting assembly for cutting barbs in the filament tensioned between said in-feed and out feed collets.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a tensioner for tensioning the filament held between the in-feed and out-feed collets.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further having a cutter for cutting a filament to a desired length to form a suture after barbs have been cut into the filament.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filament supply means is a spool having filament wrapped theron.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the spool is motorized.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a collection spool for collecting the barbed filament after barbs have been cut therein.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the collection spool is motorized.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cut off tool for trimming the filament to a specified length to form a suture.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the suture is cut from the filament having barbs formed thereon.

10. The apparatus of claim l, wherein the cutting assembly comprises:

a first directional feed motor for moving a first cutter;

a second directional feed motor for moving a second cutter; and

a third directional feed motor for moving a grasping tool, wherein the first and second cutters cut barbs into a filament and the grasping tool advances the filament after cutting of the barbs.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a severing blade, wherein the severing blade severs the filament after advancement to form a suture.

15. The collet as recited in claim 12, wherein said chuck comprises three jaws.

16. The collet as recited in claim 12, wherein each of said jaws has a substantially flat holding surface.

17. The collet as recited in claim 12, wherein the chuck houses two jaws.

18. The collet as recited in claim 15, wherein each jaw has a concave holding surface.

19. The collet as recited in claim 12, wherein said chuck can be rotated about the longitudinal axis of a suture to impart twist to the suture.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said collet rotates in a second direction to untwist the suture.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

a first collet rotatable in a first direction for imparting twist on a suture; and

a second collet rotatable in a second direction for removing the twist imparted to the suture.

11. An apparatus for cutting barbs into sutures comprising:

a first directional feed motor for moving a first cutter;

a second directional feed motor for moving a second cutter; and

a third directional feed motor for moving a grasping tool, wherein the first and second cutters cut barbs into a filament and the grasping tool advances the filament after cutting of the barbs.

13. A holder for securing a suture in preparation for the cutting of barbs therein comprising:

a bed,

a channel arranged in the bed; and

a plurality of orifices arranged along the channel, each orifice comprising a first end exposed in the channel and a second end connected to a suction means, wherein a suction applied to the second end creates a vacuum for securing a suture placed so as to cover at least one of the plurality of orifices.

14. A collet for holding a suture in place relative to its longitudinal axis during the cutting of barbs therein, comprising:

a chuck support;

a chuck having a variably adjustable aperture housed in said support;

said chuck comprising a plurality of jaws, whereby movement of said jaws adjusts the aperture of said chuck to hold a suture threaded there through.

20. An apparatus for cutting barbs into sutures comprising:

at least one collet for holding a suture, wherein said at least one collet rotates in a first direction to impart twist on a suture.

23. An apparatus for cutting barbs into sutures comprising:

at least one collet; and

at least one biased tensioner, the biased tensioner allowing the at lest one collet to move in a first direction as a suture held in a chuck housed in the collet is twisted, the biased tensioner moving the collet in a second direction as the suture is untwisted;

wherein the movement of the collet insures that the suture receives no more than a specified tension.

24. An apparatus for cutting barbs into sutures comprising:

a suture material supply, for feeding suture material to at least on collet, said at least one collet holding suture material along a longitudinal axis; and

a tensioner, the tensioner further comprising at least one fixed pulley and at least one movable biased pulley, wherein the movable biased pulley imparts a force on the suture material tensioning a section of suture material held by the at least one collet.

25. A cutter for use in an apparatus for cutting barbs into sutures comprising:

a first edge, the first sharply honed edge for cutting a barb into a suture to a specified depth and in a specified direction; and

a second edge, the second edge blunted and roughened to impart a roughened texture to a surface of the barb cut into the suture.

26. An apparatus for cutting barbs into a suture comprising:

a filament supply means;

at least one collet for holding a filament;

a cutting bed for resting a filament thereon; and

a cutting assembly for cutting barbs in the filament.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising a robotic arm assembly, said robotic arm assembly manipulating the cutting assembly to cut the barbs in the filament

28. A method of forming a barbed suture comprising the steps of:

threading a filament from a filament supply through a filament tensioner and through a first and second collet;

closing the first and second collets;

rotating at least one of the collets in a first direction to twist the filament;

cutting barbs in at least a first direction into the twisted filament;

untwisting the filament and opening the collets;

advancing the filament using a filament grasping tool;

closing the collets; and

severing the filament having barbs cut in to form a suture.