Inventors:
Daniel Smith - Manalapan Township NJ
Bernard M. Willis - East Brunswick NJ
Kenneth P. Marschke - Medford NJ
Barry Littlewood - Harmony NJ
Vulgens Schoen - Stockton NJ
Carl Gucker - Branchburg NJ
Michael Nordmeyer - Neshanic Station NJ
Thaddeus Miklewicz - Nazareth PA
Assignee:
Ethicon, Inc. - Somerville NJ
International Classification:
B23P 1304
Abstract:
A process for manufacturing surgical needles from solid, cylindrical needle blanks. A plurality of needle blanks are cut from a roll of wire and mounted to a flat carrier strip. The carrier strip then indexes each needle blank to a grinding station where an orbital grinding means grinds the distal end of each needle blank into a taper point while the needle blanks are held fixed in the carrier strip.