Surgical needle abstract
The device for fixing a thread (25) to a surgical needle (22) includes
a bearing piece (2) and a punch (16). The bearing piece (2) has
a housing (10) adapted to receive a needle (22) so as to immobilize
it when the punch (16) comes into contact with the needle.
Surgical needle claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for fixing a suture to a surgical needle comprising,
providing a surgical needle having a suture mounting end with a
cavity therein,
providing a suture having a distal end,
inserting the distal end of the suture to the cavity of the needle,
providing a pair of diametrically opposed dies, each die having
a longitudinal passage and a punch slidably mounted within the die;
immobilizing the needle in such a way that the position of a portion
of the needle undergoing punching is predetermined,
wherein the needle (22) is immobilized prior to the punching, and
the portion of the needle undergoing punching is immobilized, and
wherein two zones of the needle are punched simultaneously, by the
punches.
Surgical needle description
The invention relates to surgical needles receiving a suture thread.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 4922904 discloses a device for fixing
a thread to a surgical needle. This device includes four punches
which can move by sliding in the direction of one and the same point
and are arranged in a cross formation. A needle, with a hollow end
for receiving a thread which is to be fixed to the needle, is positioned
at this point. The four punches then come simultaneously into contact
with the needle so as to deform its wall, giving it a square cross-section,
and thus crimp the thread in the needle.
However, this device has certain disadvantages. It requires a relatively
large number of punching steps to guarantee effective fixing of
the thread. It follows from this that it is necessary either to
use a corresponding number of punches, something which takes up
a lot of space and is expensive, or else to turn the needle between
two punching steps, which leads to imprecise positioning under the
different impacts. Moreover, this device alters the shape of the
needle at the level of the punched section, in particular generating
sharp edges.
It is an object of the invention to make available a device permitting
a reduction in the number of punching steps needed for the needle,
and preserving the general shape of the needle at the punching location.
With a view of achieving this object, the invention provides a
device for fixing a thread to a surgical needle, including a bearing
piece and a punch which is movable in the direction of the bearing
piece, in which the bearing piece has a housing adapted to receive
a needle so as to immobilize it when the punch comes into contact
with the needle.
Thus, the point of impact of the punch on the needle is obtained
with precision, and any sliding of the punch on the needle during
impact is avoided. This results in much more effective punching
with a view to fixing the thread to the needle. In particular, it
is possible, without any danger of sliding, to use a punch with
a conical end in order to bring a part of the wall of the needle
into the thread. Moreover, the general shape of the needle is preserved.
It is also possible to reduce the number of punching steps necessary
for each needle in this way. This device additionally obviates the
need to rotate the needle between two punching steps.
The device according to the invention will also be able to have
one or more of the following characteristics:
the punch is movable in the direction of the housing;
the bearing piece is designed so that the needle rests by gravity
in the housing;
the bearing piece being a first bearing piece, the device includes
a second bearing piece adapted so that the two bearing pieces immobilize
the needle, in particular when the punch is not in contact with
the needle;
the housing being a first housing, the second bearing piece has
a second housing adapted to receive the needle;
the punch is movable through the second bearing piece;
the punch is movable in the second housing;
the punch being a first punch, the device includes a second punch
which is movable through the bearing piece;
the second punch is movable in the housing;
the punch or at least one of the punches has an end of conical
shape.
The invention also provides a method for fixing a thread to a surgical
needle, in which method a needle receiving a thread is immobilized
and the needle is punch, and in which the needle is immobilized
in such a way that the position of a portion of the needle undergoing
punching is predetermined.
This method can be implemented using the device according to the
invention.
Advantageously, the needle is immobilized prior to the punching.
Advantageously, a portion of the needle undergoing punching is
immobilized.
Advantageously, two zones of the needle are punched simultaneously.
Finally, the invention provides a surgical needle equipped with
a thread fixed by means of the method according to the invention.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will also
be evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment
which is given as a non-limiting example. In the attached drawings;
FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the device
according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a view of the device in FIG. 1 receiving a needle;
FIG. 3 is a view, on a larger scale, of a detail of the device
in FIG. 2;
FIGS. 4 5 6 and 7 are views similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 showing
two stages of the method according to the invention; and
FIG. 8 is a view of the thread guide.
Referring to FIGS. 1 2 and 3 in the preferred embodiment, the
device according to the invention includes a lower bearing piece
2 integral with a frame (not shown) of the device, and an upper
bearing piece 4 which can move by sliding in relation to the lower
bearing piece 2 in the direction thereof, in a direction represented
by the double arrow 6. The two bearing pieces 2 4 have respective
plane contact faces 8 which are perpendicular to the direction of
displacement 6 and are adapted to come into surface contact with
one another. The two bearing pieces 2 4 have, in the area of the
contact faces 8 respective housings 10 each formed by a recess
or an indentation hollowed out in the contact face with a semi-circular
cross-sectional profile and with a curved axis 11. The axis 11 extends
in the plane of the associated contact face 8. The housings 10 are
arranged in such a way that together they define a profiled enclosure
of circular cross-section when the two bearing pieces 2 4 are in
mutual contact via their contact faces 8.
Each bearing piece 2 4 has a rectilinear cylindrical conduit 12
extending in a direction parallel to the direction of displacement
6 from the housing 10 to an opposite face 14 of the bearing piece.
Each conduit 12 thus opens out at both its ends. The axis of each
conduit geometrically cuts the axis 11 of the associated housing
10. The two conduits 12 are in alignment with one another.
The device includes two punches 16 with a general cylindrical rectilinear
shape, which can move by sliding in the respective conduits 12.
Each punch 16 has an axial end 18 directed towards the other bearing
piece 2 4 and of conical shape, blunted at the point of the cone.
The device includes two return springs 20 associated with the respective
punches 16 in such a way as to return the punch in the opposite
direction to the associated housing 10. The device includes conventional
means (not shown) for stressing each punch 16 counter to the associated
spring 20 in the direction of the other bearing piece 2 4.
The method of the invention can be implemented in the following
way.
Use is made of a surgical suture needle 22 of a known type, having
a tubular hollow axial end 24 of circular cross-section and opening
out. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 the two bearing pieces 2 4 being
at a distance from one another, the needle 22 is placed in the housing
10 of the lower bearing piece 2. The needle rests by gravity in
this housing and its position is determined, the device being designed
so that the radius of the housing 10 corresponds to that of the
needle 22.
The lower bearing piece 2 includes a thread guide 26 of semicylindrical
shape designed such that in this position of the needle, the needle
and the thread guide are coaxial, one end of the thread guide being
contiguous with the hollow end of the needle. It is therefore easy
to push a free end of a thread 25 into the hollow end of the needle.
The thread can be single-stranded or braided, absorbable or nonabsorbable.
It can be synthetic, natural or of plant origin.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 the upper bearing piece 4 is then lowered
with its punch towards the lower bearing piece 2 in the direction
6 until the faces 8 come into contact with one another. The housings
10 thus define the complete indentation which encloses and immobilizes
the needle, giving it a predetermined fixed position.
Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 at the end of the travel of the upper
bearing piece, the downward movement of the associated upper punch
continues, and the lower punch is displaced upwards in the direction
of the needle. Its hollow end is thus punched at two diametrically
opposite points, where the wall of the needle is deformed inwards
to form two internal projections between which the thread 25 is
gripped.
Each punch 16 is then drawn back, after which the upper bearing
piece 4 is lifted and the needle 22 is removed from the lower bearing
piece. A needle is obtained on which the thread 25 is crimped effectively
by a double punching.
The device allows the two punching steps to be performed exactly
in the axis of the needle 22 and with the same penetration in the
wall of the needle. By virtue of this device, the thread 25 can
be fixed by means of two punching steps alone. The punched section
of the needle retains its general circular shape. It is possible
to dispense with rotating the needle between two punching steps.
Although less advantageous, it will be possible to omit the upper
bearing piece 4 and/or the lower punch 16 by rotating the needle
for a double punching. |