ابزار پرس سوزن جراحی SURGICAL NEEDLE SWAGE TOOL

SURGICAL NEEDLE SWAGE TOOL FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for attaching needles to sutures, such as for making armed sutures for surgical applications, and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for attaching surgical needles to sutures using a sWaging process. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Various methods for sWaging needles to sutures are knoWn. In a surgical needle of a Well-knoWn type, the free end of a suture is inserted into an axial bore Within a blunt end of the needle (the “needle barrel”), and held in that position While a sWage die impinges upon the outer surface of the needle barrel, thereby compressing a portion of the bore onto the suture. The compressed portion of the bore grasps the suture by mechanical interference and by surface contact (friction). The sWaging process is conducted so as to create an attach ment betWeen the needle barrel and suture that meets or exceeds the attachment (or “pull-out”) strength requirements of standards such as USP 23 <87l>. One approach to providing good suture attachment is mul tiple hit sWaging, Wherein a needle is subjected to sWaging (i.e., compression) of controlled depth, but distributed over a large area (e. g., around the circumference of the needle). To achieve this type of sWaging, the needle may be rotated rela tive to the sWaging dies betWeen multiple sWaging compres sions. In this manner, multiple angularly offset sWaging operations (hits) are performed to attach a single needle to a single suture. While this approach provides good attachment, each hit on the barrel of the needle produces stress in the needle barrel and suture. The materials of Which the needle and suture are made inherently have some degree of mallea bility, but When the limit of malleability is reached, the mate rial Will fail, leading to, in the case of the needle, cracking and loss of attachment, or breakage. Cracking is a particular prob lem When harder alloys are used, including advanced alloys such as 4310 SS, nickel-titanium SS, and 420 SS. Further, needle materials have some elasticity, such that the relief of residual stress causes the needle barrel to relax over time, leading to a loss of attachment betWeen the needle bore and the suture. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one embodiment, the invention relates to an apparatus for attaching a suture to a needle barrel. The needle barrel has a ?rst radially-de?ned portion (or “top”), and a second radi ally-de?ned portion (or “bottom”) opposite the ?rst radially de?ned portion, ?rst and second lateral portions (or “sides”) betWeen the top and bottom and opposite each other, and a bore formed in an end of the needle barrel for receiving an end of the suture. The apparatus includes a ?rst die set including ?rst and second dies, at least one of Which is movable relative to the other. The ?rst die has a groove therein for receiving the needle barrel such that moving one or both of the ?rst and second dies toWard the other causes the second die to com press the top of the needle barrel so as to compress the suture against the inner surfaces of the bore. The groove of the ?rst die is at least partially de?ned by a curved surface siZed and shaped so as to protect the bottom and sides of the needle barrel from becoming substantially deformed during the compression of the top of the needle barrel. The apparatus further includes a second die set including third and fourth 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 dies, at least one of Which is movable relative to the other. The third die has a groove therein for receiving the needle barrel such that moving one or both of the third and fourth dies toWard the other causes the fourth die to compress the bottom of the needle barrel so as to compress the suture against the inner surfaces of the bore. The groove of the third die is at least partially de?ned by a curved surface siZed and shaped so as to protect the sides of the needle barrel from becoming substantially deformed during the compression of the bottom of the needle barrel.