Systems, devices and methods for consistently and uniformly measuring the diameters of sutures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11454485-B2
Application number	US-201916445311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2019
Priority date	Jun 19, 2019
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

A system for measuring the diameter of a suture includes a test bench, a first suture clamping assembly slidably mounted to the test bench, and a second suture clamping assembly fixed to the test bench. The system includes a suture diameter gauge slidably mounted to the test bench and located between the first and second suture clamping assemblies for obtaining suture diameter measurements for a suture secured to the clamping assemblies. The system has a rotation assembly coupled with the first and second suture clamping assemblies for simultaneously rotating the first and second suture clamping assemblies on an axis between a first position and a second position that defines a right angle with the first position. The system includes a suture tensioning assembly for applying tension to a suture secured to the first and second suture clamping assemblies as the suture is rotated on its axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for measuring the diameter of a suture comprising:
a test bench;
a first suture clamping assembly slidably mounted to said test bench;
a second suture clamping assembly fixed to said test bench;
a suture diameter gauge slidably mounted to said test bench and located between said first and second suture clamping assemblies;
a rotation assembly coupled with said first and second suture clamping assemblies for simultaneously rotating said first and second suture clamping assemblies on an axis between a first position and a second position that defines a right angle with the first position; and
a suture tensioning assembly coupled with one of said first and second suture clamping assemblies.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
said first suture clamping assembly including a first suture mounting surface;
said second suture clamping assembly including a second suture mounting surface, wherein said first and second suture mounting surfaces are configured for simultaneously rotating on the axis when moving between the first position and the second position.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said first and second suture mounting surfaces lie in a common horizontal plane when said first and second suture clamping assemblies are in the first position, wherein said first and second suture mounting surfaces lie in a common vertical plane when said first and second suture clamping assemblies are in the second position, and wherein said first and second suture mounting surfaces remain is common planes at all times as they move between the first and second positions.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising:
said first suture clamping assembly including a first suture securing lever having a first cam surface and a first suture backstop that opposes said first cam surface, wherein said first suture securing lever is moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position;
said second suture clamping assembly including a second suture securing lever having a second cam surface and a second suture backstop that opposes said second cam surface, wherein said second suture securing lever is moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising a suture having a first end secured between said first cam surface and said first suture backstop and a second end of said suture secured between said second cam surface and said second suture backstop.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said test bench comprises:
a left end plate that defines a left end of said test bench;
a right end plate assembly that defines a right end of said test bench;
a front guide rail interconnecting said left end plate and said right end plate assembly;
a rear guide rail interconnecting said left end plate and said right end plate assembly, wherein said front and rear guide rails have respective longitudinal axes that are parallel to one another;
wherein said first suture clamping assembly is slidably mounted on said front and rear guide rails for sliding between said left end plate and said right end plate assembly;
wherein said suture diameter gauge is slidably mounted on said front and rear guide rails for sliding between said first suture clamping assembly and said right end plate assembly, and wherein said suture diameter gauge comprises a brake assembly for locking said suture diameter gauge at selected locations along the lengths of said respective front and rear guide rails.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising:
said rotation assembly including a rotatable bar having a longitudinal axis;
said rotatable bar having a first end that is rotatably secured to said left end plate, a second end that is rotatably secured to said right end plate, and said rotatable bar being coupled with said first and second suture clamping assemblies, wherein said rotatable bar is rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof for moving said first and second suture clamping assemblies between the first position and the second position.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:
said first suture clamping assembly including a first small gear mounted on said rotatable bar and a first large gear that meshes with said first small gear, wherein said first suture mounting surface is secured to said first large gear;
said second suture clamping assembly including a second small gear mounted on said rotatable bar and a second large gear that meshes with said second small gear, wherein said second suture mounting surface is secured to said second large gear;
wherein rotating said rotatable bar simultaneously rotates said first and second small gears, which, in turn, simultaneously rotates said respective first and second large gears, which, in turn, simultaneously rotates said respective first and second suture mounting surfaces.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:
a locking handle coupled with said first suture clamping assembly;
said locking handle having an unlocked position in which said first suture clamping assembly is free to slide over said front and rear guide rails and said rotatable bar for adjusting a distance between said first suture clamping assembly and said second suture clamping assembly;
said locking handle having a locked position in which said first suture clamping assembly is locked in place to said front and rear guide rails.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
said first suture clamping assembly including a first outer gear plate and a first inner gear plate that contain said first small gear and said first large gear, and a first rotatable bar opening passing through said first outer gear plate and said first inner gear plate for receiving said rotatable bar;
said second suture clamping assembly including a second outer gear plate and a second inner gear plate that contain said second small gear and said second large gear, and a second rotatable bar opening passing through said second outer gear plate and said second inner gear plate for receiving said rotatable bar.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein with said locking handle in the unlocked position, said first suture clamping assembly is free to slide over said front and rear guide rails and said rotatable bar for adjusting the distance between said first suture clamping assembly and said second suture clamping assembly, and wherein said second suture clamping assembly is fixed to an upper end of said right end plate assembly.

12. The system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said test bench comprises:
a left front leg and a left rear leg located at the left side of said test bench;
a left lateral support interconnecting upper ends of said left front leg and said left rear leg;
a right front leg and a right rear leg located at the right side of said test bench;
a right lateral support interconnecting upper ends of said right front leg and said right rear leg;
a longitudinal support extending along a length of said test bench and interconnecting said left and right lateral supports;
a leveling foot mounted at a lower end of each said leg for adjusting respective lengths of said legs and for leveling said test bench.

13. The system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said suture diameter gauge comprises:
a suture testing platform having a top surface adapted to seat a suture;
a test probe having a lower end that is configured to be lowered toward the top surface of said suture testing platform for measuring a diameter of said suture;
a visual display for showing the mea

Assignees

• Ethicon Inc

Inventors

• Pfefferkorn Matthew
• Vailhe Elizabeth
• Hengst Kevin
• Logue Michael

Classifications

• G01B21/10 Primary

  for measuring diameters · CPC title

• A61B2017/00725

  Calibration or performance testing · CPC title

• A61B17/06166

  Sutures (suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M) · CPC title

• G01B5/08 Primary

  for measuring diameters {(G01B5/0035 takes precedence; measuring radius of curvature G01B5/213)} · CPC title