Cartridge packaging with a helical-spool for barbed suture
A sterile package that holds a surgical needle mounted in a removable cartridge and a spool that stores the attached suture, with the suture partially seated in a helical channel on the spool. The cartridge includes a needle driver and a pair of arms; the housing has a frictional flange or securement feature that engages between the arms to retain the cartridge. Intended users are hospitals and surgical instrument manufacturers that load prepackaged needle-and-suture cartridges into suturing instruments or hand instruments.
(57) What the patent covered
This write-up was generated by AI from the patent's text and may contain mistakes, so check it against the original patent before relying on it.
The main independent claim covers a package housing containing a removable cartridge that holds a surgical needle and a needle driver plus a pair of arms, together with a separate spool having a helical channel around which a length of suture (including barbed suture embodiments) is wound; a flange or housing securement feature is dimensioned to frictionally engage between the cartridge arms to releasably secure the cartridge in the housing while the suture occupies the spool and helical channel.
Distinguishing feature: Integration of a removable needle cartridge with a spool having a helical channel that stores at least part of the needle-attached suture and a flange/securement that frictionally engages between cartridge arms to secure the cartridge in the package.
Novelty 3/5. Pre-existing products commonly packaged needles and wound sutures separately; this combined cartridge-plus-helical-spool packaging that mates via a pair-of-arms friction feature was a modest improvement on familiar suture packaging.
Manufacturing
Injection-molded thermoplastic housing and cartridge components, stamped/formed stainless-steel needle, winding of suture onto molded spool and insertion of spool and cartridge into housing with friction-fit assembly (manual or automated), final sterilization and sealing.
Materials: Medical-grade polypropylene or ABS for cartridge/housing, stainless steel surgical needle, monofilament or multifilament suture (barbed or smooth) — polymer such as polypropylene, polydioxanone, or glycolide, thermoplastic spool (PP, PS, or PET).
Manufacturability 4/5. Multiple molded parts (housing, cartridge, spool) plus a stamped needle and automated or semi-automated winding and assembly; standard tooling and assembly lines for medical disposables are sufficient.
Market demand
No demand check has been run for this patent. Likely search terms: barbed suture cartridge with spool, suture needle cartridge packaging, helical spool suture dispenser. The links in the sidebar open these searches.
Buyers: Hospitals, surgical centers, medical device OEMs that supply suturing instruments.
Before manufacturing
No related continuation or divisional patents in force were found. Design patents, trademarks and unrelated patents may still cover the product.
None obvious; practical issues include sterilization and regulatory device classification, compatibility with specific suturing instruments, and crowded market for needle-suture cartridges.
About 1.5% of lapsed patents are later revived by their owners. This page is a research lead, not legal advice. Obtain a freedom-to-operate opinion before manufacturing.