JP2002345826A - Unit for manufacturing suture thread with needle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a simplified unit for efficiently manufacturing suture threads with a needle and cutting them into an accurate size. SOLUTION: After a transfer chuck 42 that holds a suture thread Y is linearly transferred just as much a distance as a target size of the suture thread toward a needle caulking unit 20, the suture thread Y is cut at a specified region and inserted into a hole for the suture thread at a rear end of the needle and stopped by the needle caulking unit 20. Further, this unit is equipped with a means 43 for coating a hardening agent to harden a specified hardening portion adjacent to the above cutting site of the suture thread Y prior to the cutting after the suture thread Y is pulled out, a means 44 for drying the hardening agent that dries the coated hardening agent by the means 43 for coating the hardening agent and a means for integrally moving the hardening agent coating means and the hardening agent drying means within the above specified hardening region toward a longitudinal direction of the suture thread.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for inserting a suture tip cut into a predetermined size into a suture insertion hole provided at a rear end of a needle such as a surgical needle, and then inserting the rear end of the needle after the insertion. The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a suture with a needle for joining the needle and the suture.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in the field of the medical industry, it has been practiced to manufacture a needle-attached suture in which a surgical needle is fixed to the end of a suture in advance, and to sell this in a sterilized state. Have been done. This suture with a needle holds the needle in a predetermined direction, inserts the leading end of the suture into a suture insertion hole provided at the rear end thereof, and then crimps the rear end of the needle. (For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-6657).
No. 9).

In the above-described suture with a needle, the length of the suture needs to match a predetermined target size. Conventionally, the following methods have been known as means for obtaining such a desired suture size.

A) A suture is cut in advance for each of the target dimensions, and each cut suture is connected to a needle.

[0005] B) A part of the suture pulled out from a bobbin or the like is wound around a braking roller, and the rotation amount of the braking roller is monitored by a rotary encoder. When the rotation amount reaches the rotation amount corresponding to the target size, the braking roller is operated to stop pulling out the suture, and in this state, the suture is cut at a predetermined position (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-Hei-5).
-11981).

[0006]

In the method A), the step of cutting the suture into predetermined dimensions and the step of connecting each of the cut sutures to the needle must be performed completely separately. That is, since the step of cutting the suture and the step of joining to the needle cannot be performed continuously, the efficiency is low and mass production is difficult.

On the other hand, in the method B), there is a possibility that a slip may occur between the pulled-out suture and the braking roller.
Due to the slip, an error occurs in the detection of the suture withdrawal amount by the rotary encoder. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain a desired suture cutting dimension with high accuracy. In addition, the slip is more likely to occur as the speed of pulling out the suture is increased, so that the speed of pulling out is greatly restricted, and the cycle time is lengthened accordingly, and the efficiency is reduced.

When it is desired to change the target size of the suture, it is necessary to convert the change amount into a rotation amount detected by a rotary encoder, and to change the control content of the braking roller itself based on the conversion amount. There is also inconvenience that the change of the target size cannot be easily handled.

In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of accurately and efficiently producing a needled suture having a desired size with a simple structure.

[0010]

As a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a method for inserting a leading end of a suture into a suture insertion hole provided at a rear end of the needle. In a manufacturing apparatus for a suture with a needle, which connects the needle and the suture by caulking the rear end, a suture winding part around which the suture is wound, and a tip of the suture wound around the suture winding part A suture grasping means for grasping a portion in the vicinity, a conveying means for conveying the suture grasping means linearly toward the suture insertion hole by a distance equivalent to a predetermined target dimension, and after conveying by the conveying means, Cutting means for cutting the suture at a predetermined cutting position, wherein the cut end of the suture is configured to be directly inserted into the suture insertion hole, and the suture is drawn out. Later, Before performing the step, a suture hardening means for hardening a predetermined hardened area portion near the cutting position in the suture, and as the suture hardening means, a hardener applying a hardener to the suture Means,
A hardener drying means for drying the hardener applied by the hardener applying means, and an application transfer for moving the hardener applying means and the hardener drying means integrally in the longitudinal direction of the suture within the predetermined hardened region. Means.

Further, according to the present invention, the needle and the suture are inserted by inserting the tip of the suture into a suture insertion hole provided at the rear end of the needle and caulking the rear end of the needle in this state. In a device for manufacturing a suture with a needle to be connected, a suture winding portion around which a suture is wound, a suture grasping means for gripping a portion near a tip of the suture wound around the suture winding portion, and the suture Transport means for linearly transporting the gripping means toward the suture insertion hole, and cutting for cutting the suture after the tip of the suture transported by the transport means is inserted into the suture insertion hole Means for setting the cutting position of the suture by the cutting means at a position away from the rear end of the needle by a predetermined target size, and after the suture is drawn out, the cutting is performed. Before this suture A suture hardening means for hardening a predetermined hardened area near the cutting position, and as the suture hardening means, a hardener applying means for applying a hardener to the suture; and a hardener applying means. A curing agent drying unit for drying the curing agent applied by the method, and an application transfer unit for integrally moving the curing agent applying unit and the curing agent drying unit in the longitudinal direction of the suture within the predetermined curing region. Things.

According to the present invention, the suture can be accurately cut to a desired size only by changing the cutting position of the suture.

Further, after the suture is drawn out and before the suture is cut, a predetermined hardened area portion of the suture near the cutting position is hardened, and the suture is sutured in a state where the tip of the suture is hardened. Even if this suture is, for example, a multifilament, to be inserted into the thread insertion hole,
Smooth insertion is possible.

Specifically, as the suture hardening means, a hardener applying means for applying a hardener to the suture, a hardener drying means for drying the hardener applied by the hardener applying means, Since there is provided an application transferring means for integrally moving the hardening agent applying means and the hardening agent drying means in the longitudinal direction of the suture within the predetermined hardening region, quick hardening can be performed, and the cycle time is further shortened.

As the transfer means for coating, only the hardening agent applying means of the hardening agent applying means and the hardening agent drying means is moved up and down between a position above the suture and a position almost in contact with the suture. The one that causes it is preferred.

[0016] Further, after the suture is drawn out and before the suture is cut, an application gripping means for gripping the suture at a plurality of positions sandwiching a region where the hardener is applied in the suture. And a tension applying means for applying an external force to the suture in a region between the gripping positions by the application gripping means to apply tension to the suture, and the suture tensioned by the tension applying means. If the hardening agent applying means is configured to apply the hardening agent, the hardening agent can be evenly and smoothly applied over the region as compared with the case where the application is performed without applying tension, and the suture tip Since the diameter of the suture can also be stabilized, the front end of the suture can be smoothly inserted into the suture insertion hole at the rear end of the needle.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An example of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The apparatus for manufacturing a suture with a needle shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a needle feeding device 2, a needle conveying device 4, a needle direction adjusting device 6,
Needle pickup device 12, turntable 14, needle rear end position fine adjustment device 18, needle caulking device 20, inspection device 2
2, a needle discharge device 24, a needle discharge table 26, and a suture supply device 28 are provided.

The needle feeding device 4 is for picking up the needle N supplied to a predetermined position in the needle feeding device 2 and transferring it to the needle direction adjusting device 6. The needle N handled by this device has a substantially arc-shaped curved shape, and is provided with a suture insertion hole which is open at the rear end in the axial direction.

The needle direction adjusting device 6 includes an adjustment table 8 on which the needle N is placed, and an image recognition device 10 such as a CCD or the like.
Is recognized by the image recognition device 10, and the position and the direction of the needle N are set to the target by horizontally moving and rotating the adjustment table 8 in a direction in which the recognized image matches the preset target image. Is finely adjusted to the position and the direction of.

The needle pick-up device 12 holds the finely adjusted needle N on the adjustment table 8 and supplies the needle N to a needle holder 16 on the turntable 14.

The turntable 14 is installed on a base so as to be rotatable and vertically movable, and has a plurality of needle holders 16 installed on the periphery thereof. Each needle holding section 16
It is configured to hold the needle N supplied by the needle pick-up device 12, and the needle rear end fine adjustment device 18, needle caulking device 20, inspection device 22, needle discharging device 24 together with the needle N by the rotation of the turntable 14. Are transported in this order.

FIG. 2 shows the details of each needle holding section 16. Each needle holding section 16 includes a rectangular parallelepiped holding section main body 70, and the holding section main body 70 is fixed to the upper surface of the outer peripheral portion of the turntable 14. Rear side of holding unit main body 70 (back side in FIG. 2)
An opening / closing plate 74 is rotatably connected to the peripheral edge via hinges 71 and 72. An air cylinder 76 is disposed below the holding unit main body 70 in an upward direction.
The sixth extendable rod 78 is inserted into a vertical through hole 77 provided at the rear center portion of the holding portion main body 70. In a state where the air cylinder 76 extends and the telescopic rod 78 projects upward from the through hole 77, the upper end of the telescopic rod 78 pushes up and down the open / close plate 74 (solid line in the figure) while opening and closing the air. In a state where the cylinder 76 expands and contracts and the telescopic rod 78 is immersed in the through hole 77, the opening / closing plate 74 closes by its own weight (two-dot chain line in the figure).

The needle N carried in by the needle pick-up device 12 has its rear end protruding forward (toward the front side in FIG. 2) from the holder main body 70.
The needle N is held by the needle holding unit 16 by closing the open / close plate 74 in this state.

The needle rear end position fine adjustment device 18 presses the rear end of the needle N held by the needle holding section 16 that has moved to a predetermined position to a predetermined position, thereby finely adjusting the position of the rear end. Is what you do. The needle caulking device 20 is, as described later, in a state where the suture Y supplied from the suture supply device 28 is inserted into the suture insertion hole at the rear end of the needle N held by the needle holding unit 16. By pressing and crimping the rear end of the needle N from above and below, the suture Y and the needle N are connected with a predetermined strength.

The suture supply device 28 pulls out the suture Y wound on the bobbin 30 and cuts the suture Y into a predetermined size.
Further, the cut suture Y is inserted into a suture insertion hole at the rear end of the needle N held by the needle holding unit 16. Details of the suture supply device 28 will also be described later.

The inspection device 22 applies a downward tensile load to the suture thread Y connected to the needle N held by the needle holding section 16 and checks whether the strength of the connection is sufficient. is there.

The needle discharging device 24 is provided with a needle holding chuck at the tip of a rotating arm, and the needle N held by the needle holding portion 16 (the needle N to which the suture Y is connected).
Is picked up and discharged to the needle discharge table 26.

Next, a specific configuration of the suture supply device 28 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 3, the suture supply device 2
Reference numeral 8 denotes a dancer roller 31, a chuck (gripping means for application) 3, in order from the bobbin 30 to the caulking device 20.
2. Tension applying device 33, static eliminator 34, yarn outer diameter variation detector 35, pair of front and rear chucks 36, cutting device 37, chuck (application gripping means) 38, insertion chuck (insertion means) 39, and yarn centering Transport chuck (suture thread gripping means) 42, which is provided with
A hardener applying nozzle (hardener applying means) 43 and a dryer (hardener drying means) 44 are provided.

The dancer roller 31 is mounted on the suture Y pulled out of the bobbin 30. When a predetermined weight is hung on the dancer roller 31, the tension of the suture Y is made constant. I have.

The chucks 32, 36, 38, and 42 hold the suture Y from the left and right sides at a predetermined timing, and the holding timing will be described later in detail.

The tension applying device 33 includes a pair of front and rear fixed rollers 33a and a movable roller 33b disposed therebetween. The movable roller 33b descends between the fixed rollers 33a, and the By pushing down Y
This tension is applied to the suture Y.

The cutting device 37 is composed of Japanese scissors and the like, and is transported between a cutting position (position in FIG. 3) where both blades sandwich the suture Y, and a retreat position for retreating obliquely downward from the cutting position. By operating at the cutting position,
At this position, the suture Y is cut obliquely.

The transfer chuck 42 is positioned between the pair of chucks 36 and the needle caulking device 20 is moved from this position.
Is reciprocally driven to a position separated by a predetermined distance (a distance equal to the target size of the suture Y) to the side. Details of the reciprocating drive device are shown in FIGS.

This apparatus has a rodless cylinder 46 extending in the above-described transport direction. The rodless cylinder 46 is configured to operate by receiving air supply through the air control valve 53 and to linearly move the moving body 48 along the main body of the rodless cylinder 46. The transport chuck 42 is attached to a moving body 48 of the rodless cylinder 46 via a bracket 49.

In the rodless cylinder 46, shock absorbers 50A and 50B for preventing movement of the moving body 48 are provided at positions corresponding to both ends of the reciprocating movement area of the transport chuck 42, and the shock absorbers 50A and 50B are provided. Sensors (both end position detecting means) 52A and 52B are provided for detecting that the moving body 48 has reached a position where the moving body 48 comes into contact. That is, the distance between the shock absorber 50A and the sensor 52A and the shock absorber 50B and the sensor 52B is adjusted to a distance equal to the target size of the suture Y.

It should be noted that these shock absorbers 50A,
The sensor 50A and the sensors 52A and 52B are fastened and fixed to the rodless cylinder 46 by bolts or the like, so that their mounting positions can be freely changed.

The detection signals from the sensors 52A and 52B are input to a control device 51 such as a microcomputer. The control device 51 outputs a control signal to the air control valve 53 based on the detection signals of the sensors 52A and 52B and outputs the control signal to the rodless cylinder 46.
It is configured to control the operation of. The control device 51 also has a role of sequence controlling the operation of each component of the suture supply device 28 including the chucks 32, 36, and 38.

The hardener applying nozzle 43 is connected to the cutting device 3
A hardening agent such as an adhesive is applied to the surface of the suture Y in a predetermined hardened region between a cutting position by the cutting member 7 and a position separated by a predetermined distance toward the chuck 36 from the cutting position. Reference numeral 44 denotes a device for blowing hot air onto the curing agent applied by the curing agent application nozzle 43 to dry the same.

The curing agent application nozzle 43 and the dryer 44 are transported in various directions by the apparatus shown in FIG. In the drawing, a support plate 54 is fixed in a horizontal state diagonally above the suture Y, and is slidably movable in a reciprocating direction (a depth direction in FIG. 3) along a rail 55 laid on the horizontal plate 54. A plate 56 is provided. The support plate 5
An air cylinder 57 is fixed on the upper surface 4, and the movable plate 56 is connected to a telescopic rod 57a of the air cylinder 57 via a connecting member 58. The movable plate 56 is slid by the expansion and contraction of the air cylinder 57. It is supposed to be.

A rail 59 is laid on the movable plate 56 in the front-rear direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 3), and the movable plate 60 is slidably mounted along the rail 59.
The air cylinder 61 is fixed. The movable plate 60 is connected to a telescopic rod 61a of the air cylinder 61 via a connecting member 62.
The movable plate 60 is driven to slide by the expansion and contraction of.

From the moving plate 60, an upright wall 60a rises upward. A support arm 63 extends from one side surface of the vertical wall 60a, and the dryer 44 is fixed to a tip of the support arm 63. A rail 64 is fixed to the other side surface of the vertical wall 60a.
A lift plate 65 is provided so as to be able to move up and down along 4, and an air cylinder 66 is fixed. The elevating plate 65 is connected to the telescopic rod 66a of the air cylinder 66 via a connecting member 67, and the elevating plate 65
The curing agent application nozzle 43 is fixed to the tip of
The elevating plate 65 and the curing agent application nozzle 43 are integrally driven up and down by expansion and contraction of the air cylinder 66.

The moving plate 5 with respect to the supporting plate 54
6, the curing agent application nozzle 43 and the dryer 44 are integrally and horizontally transferred between a position immediately above the suture Y and a position retracted sideways from this position. Due to the movement of the moving plate 60, the curing agent application nozzle 43 and the dryer 44 are moved as shown in FIGS.
Are transferred along the longitudinal direction of the suture Y from the application start position shown in FIG.
As the lifting plate 65 moves up and down with respect to the moving plate 60, only the hardener application nozzle 43 is separated upward from the suture Y as shown in FIGS. As shown in the drawing, it is moved up and down between a position almost in contact with the suture Y.

The insertion chuck 39 is provided at a position sandwiching the suture Y from above and below. These insertion chucks 3
The rear end portion 9 (the left end portion in FIG. 10) is formed with a tapered surface 39a that expands toward the rear end, and care is taken to smoothly insert the suture Y from the rear end.

The insertion chuck 39 is driven by the device shown in FIGS. The insertion chuck 39 is
The pair of upper and lower support plates 80 are fixed to the distal ends, respectively, and the base ends of these support plates 80 are attached to a clamp device 82. The clamping device 82 is provided with two support plates 80.
The support plate 80 is driven to drive the insertion chuck 39 between a position where the insertion chuck 39 clamps the suture Y from above and a position where the suture Y is released. It can be switched between.

The clamp device 82 itself is slidably supported by the base 84 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the suture Y (left and right directions in FIGS. 7 and 8). An air cylinder 85 is fixed to the base 84 horizontally.
The clamp device 82 is connected to the telescopic rod 85a, and the clamp device 82 is reciprocated between the solid line position and the two-dot chain line position in FIG. 7 by the expansion and contraction of the air cylinder 85. . Here, the solid line position in the figure is set to a position where the insertion chuck 39 can receive a portion near the tip of the suture Y conveyed from the conveyance chuck 42, and the two-dot chain line position in FIG. The distal end of the suture Y gripped by 39 is set at a position to be inserted into the suture insertion hole at the rear end of the needle N held by the needle holding unit 16.

The thread centering chuck 40 is provided at a position between the insertion chuck 39 and the needle caulking device 20,
The lower end is connected to the air cylinder 86. By the operation of the air cylinder 86, the position where the thread centering chuck 40 sandwiches the suture Y from the left and right as indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 9 and the position where the suture Y is released as indicated by the solid line in FIG. When the suture Y is clamped by the thread centering chuck 40, the position of the suture Y in the left-right direction is inserted into the normal position (inserted into the suture insertion hole of the needle N). (Possible positions).

The air cylinder 86 includes a bracket 91
Through a telescopic rod 88 of the air cylinder 90. And, by the expansion and contraction of the air cylinder 90,
The thread centering chuck 40 moves up and down between an upper end position at which the suture Y can be sandwiched (the position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 8) and a lower end position retracted downward from the suture Y (the solid line position in FIG. 8). It is supposed to.

The details of the needle caulking device 20 are shown in FIGS. The needle caulking device 20 includes a horizontal shaft 100 supported on a base side by a support member (not shown), a lower die support member 101 and an upper die support member 102 extending horizontally.
And A protruding portion 101a protrudes upward from the upper surface of the lower die supporting member 101 in the left-right direction, while a protruding portion 102a protrudes downward from the lower surface of the upper die supporting member 102 in the left-right direction. . And
The upper die support member 102 and the lower die support member 101 are supported so as to be rotatable around the horizontal axis 100 (that is, openable and closable) in a state where the horizontal shaft 100 penetrates the both protrusions 101a and 102a in the horizontal direction. ing.

One end (the right end in FIG. 11A) of both die supporting members 101 and 102 is connected to each other by a tension spring 104, and a cam 106 is sandwiched between these ends. This cam 106 is a cam drive motor 10
8 is connected to the output shaft 110 of the motor 8 and the cam 106 is driven to rotate by the cam drive motor 108 so that the two die supporting members 101 and 102 are rotated in the direction of coming and going from each other. The shape of the cam 106 is set.

Then, a die stand 113 is provided on the upper surface of the other end of the lower die supporting member 101 (the left end in FIG. 11A).
A lower caulking die 111 is erected through the upper caulking die 111, and an upper caulking die 112 facing the lower caulking die 111 is fixed to the lower surface of the other end of the upper die supporting member 102 via a die stand 114. . At the center of the upper end of the lower caulking die 111, a semicircular notch 111a having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the rear end of the needle N is formed. A semicircular notch 112a having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the end is formed. Then, in a state where both the die supporting members 101 and 102 are closed, FIG.
As shown by the solid line in (a), the rear end of the needle N held by the needle holding section 16 is sandwiched from above and below by the notches 111a and 112a of both the swaging dies 111 and 112 and swaged.

Further, the side of the lower caulking die 111 and the die stand 113 on the side of the suture thread insertion (the left side in FIG. 10).
, A suture guide plate 95 is fixed integrally therewith, and similarly, a suture guide plate 96 is also fixed integrally to the upper die 112 and the side surface of the die stand 114 on the side where the suture is inserted. At the center of the upper end of the suture guide plate 95 and the center of the lower end of the suture guide plate 96, semi-conical guide holes 95a and 96a whose diameters are reduced in the direction of inserting the suture are formed, respectively. The diameter of the guide holes 95a and 96a on the die side is set slightly larger than the diameter of the suture insertion hole 116 formed at the rear end of the needle N.

Next, the operation of the suture manufacturing apparatus will be described.

First, the needle N supplied to a predetermined position by the needle supply device 2 of FIG. 1 is carried to a predetermined position on the adjustment table 8 of the needle direction adjusting device 6 by the needle transport device 4, and is placed at this position. Is placed.

In the needle direction adjusting device 6, the image of the needle N on the adjustment table 8 is recognized by the image recognition device 10, and the direction and position of the recognized image and the direction and position of the preset target image. The adjustment table 8 is driven in each direction so that the following conditions are satisfied. Thereafter, the needle N is carried by the needle pickup device 12 to a predetermined needle holder 16 on the turntable 14.

In the needle holder 16, the air cylinder 76 shown in FIG. 2 is extended and the opening / closing plate 74 is pushed up, so that the upper surface of the holder main body 70 is exposed upward. Here, the needle N held by the needle pick-up device 12 is placed on the holding portion main body 70 with its rear end protruding from the holding portion main body 70 of the needle holding portion 16, and thereafter the air N The needle N is held by the needle holder 16 by the cylinder 76 contracting and the opening / closing plate 74 closing by its own weight. When the turntable 14 is rotated by a predetermined angle in this state, the needle holding portion 16 and the needle N held by the needle holding portion 16 are transported to the needle rear end position fine adjustment device 18, and the needle rear end position fine adjustment device 18 is rotated. By pressing the rear end of the needle N to a predetermined position, the rear end position is finely adjusted. Thereafter, as the turntable 14 further rotates by a predetermined angle, the needle holding unit 16 and the needle N held by the needle holding unit 16 are carried to the needle caulking device 20.

In this needle caulking device 20, FIG.
As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG.
And the lower caulking die 111 are largely separated vertically. Here, the rotation of the turntable 14 causes the rear end of the needle N to be transported between the caulking dies 111 and 112.

On the other hand, the suture Y is cut and supplied from the suture supply device 28 shown in FIG. 3 in the following procedure, and the tip thereof is inserted into the suture insertion hole 116 at the rear end of the needle N.

1) The chucks 32 and 38 grip the suture Y, and tension is applied to the suture Y by the operation of the tension applying device 33 in a region between them.

2) The curing agent application nozzle 43 and the dryer 44 shown in FIG. 5 are transferred integrally with the moving plates 56 and 60 by the extension of the air cylinder 57, and from the retracted position to the position immediately above the suture Y. It moves forward (FIG. 6A). Next, the elevating plate 65 descends due to the contraction of the air cylinder 66, and the tip of the hardening agent application nozzle 43 comes into contact with the suture Y (FIG. 9B). And the dryer 44 is the cutting device 3
7 is transported to the scheduled cutting position (FIG. 7 (c)). By this operation, the hardener 68 flowing out of the hardener application nozzle 43 is applied to the surface of the suture Y, and the applied suture Y is blown from the dryer 44 with hot air, so that the hardener 68 Acceleration is accelerated. At this time, since an appropriate tension is applied to the suture Y, the diameter of the suture Y can be hardened to a small diameter, and good hardening is guaranteed. After the application, the curing agent application nozzle 43 rises, and returns to the above-described retracted position together with the dryer 44 (FIG. 4D).

3) The chuck 36 grips the suture Y, and the cutting device 37 cuts the suture Y. At the same time as the cutting, the chucks 32 and 38 release the suture Y.

4) At this point, the transport chuck 42 is
Is positioned at a position where it comes into contact with the shock absorber 50A (that is, a position detected by the sensor 52A), and is held by these chucks 36 at this position (a position between both chucks 36). Hold suture Y. The distal end position of the suture Y at this time corresponds to the position where the suture Y has been cut by the cutting device 37, so that the transport chuck 42 grips a portion near the distal end of the suture Y. The suture tip is in a state of being hardened by the hardener 68.

5) After the chuck 36 releases the suture Y, the rodless cylinder 46 operates and the transport chuck 4
2 is linearly conveyed toward the needle N integrally with the moving body 48. When the moving body 48 reaches a position where it comes into contact with the shock absorber 50B, this arrival is detected by the sensor 52.
B, and a detection signal is input to the control device 51. As a result, the operation of the rodless cylinder 46 is stopped, and the moving body 48 and the transport chuck 42 stop at the above positions. By this operation, the suture Y is accurately drawn out by a dimension equal to the separation distance L between the shock absorbers 50A and 50B. Hereinafter, by repeating the operations 1) to 5), the suture Y becomes the target size (=
L).

After the leading end of the suture Y transported and cut by the transport chuck 42 reaches a position where the transport chuck 42 contacts the shock absorber 50B,
By being sandwiched from the left and right by the yarn centering chuck 40, the yarn centering in the left and right direction is performed. Next, the suture Y is gripped by the insertion chuck 39, and after this gripping, the transport chuck 42 releases the suture Y, and the transport chuck 4
2 is a position between the two chucks 36 (the position of the above 4).
Return to Simultaneously with this return operation, the thread centering chuck 40 releases the suture Y and retreats downward.

In the needle caulking device 20, the cam 106
Are rotated, and the upper caulking die 112 and the suture guide plate 96 and the lower caulking die 111 and the suture guide plate 9 are rotated.
5 are close to each other, and the notches 111a, 112a of the caulking dies 111, 112 are almost in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rear end of the needle N (the state of FIGS. 9 and 10). In this state, when the insertion chuck 39 gripping the suture Y advances from the position shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 10, the tip of the suture Y is held by the needle holding unit 16. The needle N is inserted into the suture insertion hole 116 at the rear end of the needle N.

At this time, the distal end of the suture Y is
And is centered by the thread centering chuck 40, and guided by the tapered suture guide holes 95a and 96a of the suture guide plates 95 and 96, so that it is smoothly inserted into the suture insertion hole 116. Will be done.

In this embodiment, the insertion operation is always performed after the suture Y has been cut.

After the insertion, further rotation of the cam 106 causes the two caulking dies 111 and 112 to come closer to each other, and strongly clamps the rear end of the needle N, thereby caulking the rear end of the needle N. Is fixed to the tip of After the caulking is completed, the caulking dies 111 and 112 are largely separated from each other to the original position, and the needle N is transported to the inspection device 22 by rotating the turntable 14 by a predetermined angle.

In this inspection device 22, the needle N is
While being held at 6, a predetermined static load is applied to the suture Y fixed to the needle N, and it is confirmed whether or not the crimping strength is sufficient. The needle-attached suture passed by the inspection device 22 (that is, the needle-attached suture from which the suture Y did not come off from the needle N even when the static load was applied) is further rotated by the turntable 14 so that the needle holding unit is rotated. The needle-equipped suture is discharged to a needle discharge table 26 by being conveyed to the needle discharge device 24 together with the needle discharge device 24.

According to such a method and apparatus, the suture Y can be cut accurately with a dimension equal to the transport stroke L of the transport chuck 42 (ie, the separation distance between the shock absorbers 50A and 50B), and the suture Y Can be efficiently coupled to the needle N as it is. In order to change the cutting dimension of the suture Y, it is only necessary to shift the mounting positions of the shock absorbers 50A and 50B and the sensors 52A and 52B by a dimension equal to the changed dimension. There is no need to convert to the amount of rotation of the braking roller.

FIG. 12 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. Here, the shock absorbers 50A, 50B
In addition, a shock absorber 50C is provided at an intermediate position as an intermediate stopper. Specifically, a block 120 is fixed to the rodless cylinder 46, a telescopic rod of an air cylinder 122 is fixed to the block 120, and the shock absorber 50 </ b> C is fixed to a main body of the air cylinder 122. The expansion and contraction of the air cylinder 122 causes the shock absorber 50C to be transferred between a position facing the transport path of the moving body 48 and a position retracted backward from this position, as shown in the figure. In addition, the moving body 48 is the shock absorber 5
A sensor (intermediate position detecting means) 52C for detecting that the moving body 48 has reached this position is provided at a position where the moving body 48 reaches this position.
Is provided.

On the other hand, the controller 51 has a first control mode in which the transport is stopped only when the moving body 48 starting from the shock absorber 50A is detected by the sensor 52B, and the moving body 48 is detected by the sensor 52C. The mode can be switched to the second control mode in which the conveyance is stopped at the time when the operation is performed.

According to such a configuration, the shock absorber 50C is retracted from the transport path, and the control device 51 is switched to the first control mode, so that the distance between the shock absorbers 50A and 50B is equal to the distance L1. The suture Y can be automatically cut, and conversely, by moving the shock absorber 50C forward on the transport path and switching to the second control mode, the shock absorbers 50A, 50
The suture Y can be automatically cut to a size equal to the separation L2 between the OCs. That is, two types of cutting dimensions can be easily selected only by switching the control mode without changing the mounting position of the shock absorber or the sensor.

In the second control mode, after the suture Y is cut, the shock absorber 50C is retracted,
Further, the transport chuck 42 may be further advanced to transport the distal end of the suture Y to the insertion chuck 39.

Further, the number of intermediate sensors and shock absorbers is not limited to one, and it is possible to obtain various cutting dimensions by increasing the number.

FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 show a third embodiment.

On the base 132, the cutting device mounting substrate 13
4 is set. The base 132 has a pair of through-grooves 13 extending in the suture pull-out direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 13).
6, a bolt 138 is inserted into the through groove 136 and a bolt insertion hole of the cutting device mounting board 134, and a nut 139 is screwed on the lower side of the base 132.
The cutting device mounting substrate 134 can be fixed at an arbitrary position along the through groove 136. That is, the cutting position of the suture Y by the cutting device 37 can be adjusted.

The chuck 36 and the cylinder support wall 140 are provided upright on the cutting device mounting board 134.
An air cylinder 142 is fixed obliquely upward to the cylinder support wall 140, and the cutting device 37 is connected to a distal end of a telescopic rod of the air cylinder 142 via a connecting member 144. Accordingly, the cutting device 37 moves between the cutting position where the suture Y can be cut and the retreat position where it retreats obliquely downward from the cutting position by the expansion and contraction operation of the air cylinder 142.

At a position on the base 132 near the cutting mounting substrate 134, there is provided a cutting position adjusting scale 146 graduated along the through groove 136.

In this apparatus, the cutting position of the cutting device 37 is set at a position away from the rear end of the needle N held by the needle holding section 16 by a target size, and the tip of the suture Y is Is the suture insertion hole 116 for the needle N
When the method of cutting the suture Y by the cutting device 37 after the insertion is performed, the cut size of the suture Y can be accurately adjusted to the target size, similarly to the first to third embodiments. become.

In the first to third embodiments, as the insertion means for inserting the tip of the suture Y into the suture insertion hole 116, an insertion chuck 39 different from the transport chuck 42 is introduced. Alternatively, the transport chuck 42 may be used as the insertion means as it is. However, if the insertion chuck 39 different from the conveyance chuck 42 is introduced, the conveyance chuck 42 is returned to the original position (the position between the chucks 36 in the example of FIG. 3) during the insertion operation by the insertion chuck 39. And there is an advantage that the production efficiency is increased accordingly.

When the insertion means is provided, the specific structure thereof is not particularly limited, and for example, insertion chucks 150A and 150B as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 may be used.

In the figure, the lower insertion chuck 150A
Is formed with a V-groove 152 extending in the suture insertion direction.
On the upper insertion chuck 150B, a mountain-shaped projection 154 corresponding to the V-shaped groove 152 is provided to project downward. The suture entrance side of both insertion chucks 150A and 150B (FIG. 1)
6 is formed on the left side) with tapered guide counterbore 155, 156 for guiding the suture tip. The suture exit side of the lower insertion chuck 150A (FIG. 1)
6 has a concave portion 1 having the same depth as the V-groove 152.
51A is formed, and a protruding wall 151B having the same height as the mountain-shaped protruding portion 154 protrudes downward from the suture thread exit side of the upper insertion chuck 150B.

According to the insertion chucks 150A and 150B, the suture Y can be accurately held at the center position (the deepest position) of the V-shaped groove 152. Also, the insertion chucks 150A, 1A are formed by tapered guide counterbodies 155, 156.
The distal end of the suture Y can be smoothly inserted into 50B.

As described above, the structure of the insertion means can be freely set.

Further, in the first embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for applying a curing agent as a suture curing means has been described.
For example, by attaching a curing agent to the surface of the suture Y using a spray nozzle, the suture Y can be cured well as described above.

[0088]

As described above, the present invention provides a suture wrapping portion around which a suture is wound, a suture gripping means for gripping a portion near the tip of the suture wound around the suture wrapping portion, and Transport means for linearly transporting the suture grasping means toward the suture insertion hole by a distance equivalent to a predetermined target dimension, and cutting means for cutting the suture at a predetermined cutting position after transport by the transport means. A suture winding portion around which the suture is wound, and a suture wound around the suture winding portion, wherein the cut end of the suture is directly inserted into the suture insertion hole. A suture grasping means for grasping a portion near the distal end of the thread, a conveying means for linearly conveying the suture grasping means toward the suture insertion hole, and a tip of the suture conveyed by the conveying means. Cutting means for cutting the suture after the suture is inserted into the suture insertion hole, and setting the cutting position of the suture by the cutting means at a position separated from the rear end of the needle by a predetermined target size. And after the suture has been pulled out and before the cut is made,
A suture hardening means for hardening a predetermined hardened region near the cutting position in the suture; and a hardener applying means for applying a hardener to the suture as the suture hardening means; A curing agent drying unit for drying the curing agent applied by the applying unit, and an application transferring unit for integrally moving the curing agent applying unit and the curing agent drying unit in the longitudinal direction of the suture within the predetermined curing region. Since it is provided, it is possible to cut a suture accurately to a desired size, and it is possible to cure the suture tip in advance before inserting the suture, for example, when using a multifilament suture In addition, the effect is obtained that the tip can be smoothly inserted into the suture insertion hole at the rear end of the needle. In addition, rapid curing can be performed, and the effect of further reducing the cycle time can be obtained.

Further, after the suture is drawn out and before the suture is cut, an application gripping means for gripping the suture at a plurality of positions sandwiching the region where the hardener is applied in the suture. And a tension applying means for applying an external force to the suture in a region between the gripping positions by the application gripping means to apply tension to the suture, and the suture tensioned by the tension applying means. If the hardening agent applying means is configured to apply the hardening agent, the hardening agent can be evenly and smoothly applied over the region as compared with the case where the application is performed without applying tension, and the suture tip Has an effect of stabilizing the diameter.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of an apparatus for manufacturing a suture with a needle according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a needle holder provided in the apparatus for manufacturing a suture with a needle.

FIG. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of a suture supply device provided in the manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 4A is a plan view of a driving device for a transport chuck provided in the suture supply device, and FIG. 4B is a front view.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a transfer device such as a hardening agent application nozzle provided in the suture supply device.

FIGS. 6A to 6D are front views showing a series of coating operations by the hardener coating nozzle.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a driving device of an insertion chuck and a thread centering chuck provided in the manufacturing apparatus of the suture with a needle.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing a driving device of an insertion chuck and a thread centering chuck provided in the manufacturing apparatus of the suture with a needle.

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view showing a positional relationship between the insertion chuck, the yarn centering chuck, and the needle caulking device.

FIG. 10 is a partial sectional front view showing the above positional relationship.

FIG. 11A is a front view of a needle caulking device provided in the above-described apparatus for manufacturing a suture with a needle, and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

12A is a plan view of a transport chuck driving device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12B is a front view.

FIG. 13 is an overall configuration diagram of a suture supply device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

14 is an overall plan view of the suture supply device shown in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a modification of the insertion chuck.

FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the insertion chuck of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 16 needle holding unit 20 needle caulking device 28 suture supply device 30 bobbin (suture winding portion) 32, 38 chuck (gripping means for application) 33 tension applying device 37 cutting device 39, 150A, 150B insertion chuck (insertion means) 42 Transport chuck (suture holding means) 43 Hardener application nozzle 44 Dryer (hardener drying means) 46 Rodless cylinder (Transport means) 50A, 50B Shock absorber (stopper) 50C Shock absorber (intermediate stopper) 51 Controller 52A, 52B Sensor (end position detecting means) 52C Sensor (intermediate position detecting means) 116 Suture insertion hole N Needle Y Suture

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Gennai Yanagisawa 4444 F-term (reference) 4C060 BB12 BB18

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A needle for connecting a needle to a suture by inserting a distal end of the suture into a suture insertion hole provided at a rear end of the needle, and caulking a rear end of the needle in this state. In a device for manufacturing a suture with a suture, a suture winding portion around which the suture is wound, and a suture gripping means for gripping a portion near the distal end of the suture wound around the suture winding portion,
Transport means for transporting the suture grasping means linearly toward the suture insertion hole by a distance equal to a predetermined target size, and cutting means for cutting the suture at a predetermined cutting position after transport by the transport means And the tip of the cut suture is inserted into the suture insertion hole as it is, and after the suture is pulled out and before the cutting is performed, the suture is cut. A suture hardening means for hardening a predetermined hardened area portion of the yarn near the cutting position, and as the suture hardening means, a hardener applying means for applying a hardener to the suture; and a hardener applying means. Curing agent drying means for drying the curing agent applied by the method, and an application transfer means for moving the curing agent applying means and the curing agent drying means integrally in the longitudinal direction of the suture within the predetermined curing region. Suture thread with needle manufacturing apparatus characterized by comprising a. 2. A needle for connecting the needle and the suture by inserting a distal end of the suture into a suture insertion hole provided at a rear end of the needle, and caulking the rear end of the needle in this state. In a device for manufacturing a suture with a suture, a suture winding portion around which the suture is wound, and a suture gripping means for gripping a portion near the distal end of the suture wound around the suture winding portion,
A transporting means for linearly transporting the suture grasping means toward the suture insertion hole; and a suture after the tip of the suture transported by the transporting means is inserted into the suture insertion hole. Cutting means for cutting, the cutting means sets the cutting position of the suture at a position away from the rear end of the needle by a predetermined target size, and after the suture is pulled out, the cutting is performed. Before performing the step, a suture hardening means for hardening a predetermined hardened area portion near the cutting position in the suture, and as the suture hardening means, a hardener applying a hardener to the suture Means, a curing agent drying means for drying the curing agent applied by the curing agent applying means, and the curing agent applying means and the curing agent drying means integrally moving in the longitudinal direction of the suture within the predetermined curing region. Suture thread with needle manufacturing apparatus characterized by comprising a coating transfer means for. 3. The apparatus for manufacturing a suture with a needle according to claim 1, wherein the transferring means for applying includes only the hardening agent applying means of the hardening agent applying means and the hardening agent drying means, which is located above the suture. An apparatus for raising and lowering a suture with a needle between a position far away from and a position almost in contact with the suture. 4. The apparatus for producing a suture with a needle according to claim 1, wherein after the suture is drawn out,
Before the cutting is performed, a gripping means for gripping the suture at a plurality of positions sandwiching a region where the hardener is applied in the suture, and a region between gripping positions by the gripping means for coating. Tension applying means for applying an external force to the suture to apply tension to the suture, wherein the curing agent applying means is configured to apply the curing agent to the suture tensioned by the tension applying means. An apparatus for producing a suture with a needle.