Grindless surgical needle manufacture

• US 20050044922A1
• Filed: 08/12/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Bogart, Michael W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,185,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 72/377
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06066 Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations making needles B21G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B21G 1/00 Making needles used for performing operations forming heads on pin-like needles B21G3/12; making U-shaped hairpins B21G7/04

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a surgical needle devoid of a grinding process includes the steps of swaging a needle blank to define a substantially tapered or conical needle end, pressing the tapered needle to form a plurality of intersecting surfaces and forming cutting edges along the lines of intersection of the intersecting sides. The needle may be subjected to an etching process (e.g., an acid bath) to sharpen the cutting edges and/or provide a matte finish on the needle. The needle produced by the novel process is extremely sharp and durable, and exhibits an enhanced retention of sharpness relative to conventional ground needles over periods of prolonged use.

Claims

1. A grindless process for manufacturing a surgical needle, comprising the steps of:

swaging a needle blank to define a substantially tapered needle end;

pressing the tapered needle end along a plurality of surfaces to form multiple intersecting sides on the tapered needle end; and

forming cutting edges adjacent areas of intersection of the intersecting sides to define a plurality of cutting edges on the tapered needle end.

2. The grindless process according to claim 1 wherein the step of swaging includes positioning an end of a needle blank between a pair of swaging dies defining conical recesses therein and engaging the end with die surfaces defining the conical recesses to form a substantially conically-shaped needle end.

3. The grindless process according to claim 2 including the step of rotating the swaging dies about the end of the needle blank.

4. The grindless process according to claim 1 wherein the step of forming includes pressing a crease line along each adjacent areas of intersection of the intersecting sides.

5. The grindless process according to claim 4 further including the step of trimming excess material formed during the step of pressing a crease line.

6. The grindless process according to claim 5 wherein the step of trimming includes subjecting the tapered needle end to an acid bath.

7. The grindless process according to claim 1 further including the step of etching the tapered needle end to sharpen the cutting edges.

8. The grindless process according to claim 7 wherein the etching process includes the step of subjecting the tapered needle end to an acid bath to remove excess needle material.

9. The grindless process according to claim 8 wherein the step of subjecting the tapered needle end includes introducing a first current into the acid bath for a first predetermined period of time and introducing a second current into the acid bath for a second predetermined time.

10. The grindless process according to claim 9 wherein the first current ranges from about 5 amps to about 6 amps and wherein the first predetermined time period ranges from about 20 seconds to about 40 seconds.

11. The grindless process according to claim 10 wherein the second current ranges from about 0.5 amps to about 2 amps and wherein the second predetermined time period ranges from about 4 minutes to about 6 minutes.