Non-hazardous cleaning solution and process for cleaning blackened needles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11826796-B2
Application number	US-202117545225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2021
Priority date	Jun 12, 2019
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A blackened surgical needle made by the method of treating blackened surgical needles, comprising the steps of: a. determining that a blackening process may have produced loose black oxide particles on the blackened surgical needle; b. placing at least one blackened surgical needle having loose black oxide particles on its surface into a bath, wherein the bath comprises: i. an effective amount of citric acid to remove loose black oxide particles from the at least one blackened surgical needle; and ii. a source of ultrasound; and c. applying the ultrasound in the bath for a time sufficient to remove loose black oxide particles from the surface of the at least one needle and wherein the contents of the bath are maintained at a pH below 3.25.

First claim

We claim:

1. A blackened surgical needle made by the method of treating blackened surgical needles, comprising the steps of:
a. determining that a blackening process may have produced loose black oxide particles on the blackened surgical needle;
b. placing at least one blackened surgical needle having loose black oxide particles on its surface into a bath, wherein the bath comprises:
i. an effective amount of citric acid to remove loose black oxide particles from the at least one blackened surgical needle; and
ii. a source of ultrasound; and

c. applying the ultrasound in the bath for a time sufficient to remove loose black oxide particles from the surface of the at least one needle and wherein the contents of the bath are maintained at a pH below 3.25.

2. The blackened surgical needle of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the citric acid is from about 0.5 wt. % to 5 wt. % (aqueous).

3. The blackened surgical needle of claim 2 , wherein the concentration of citric acid is from about 0.75 wt. % to 5 wt. % (aqueous).

4. The blackened surgical needle of claim 3 , wherein the concentration of citric acid is about 1.0 wt. % (aqueous).

5. The blackened surgical needle of any of the claims 1 - 4 , wherein the frequency of the ultrasound is about 40 kHz.

6. The blackened surgical needle of claim 5 , wherein the power of the ultrasound ranges from about 80 watts to about 320 watts.

7. The blackened surgical needle of claim 5 , wherein the time for ultrasonic treatment is less than 5 minutes.

8. The blackened surgical needle of claim 6 , wherein the time for ultrasonic treatment is less than 3 minutes.

9. The blackened surgical needle of claim 7 , wherein the time for ultrasonic treatment is less than 1 minute.

10. The blackened surgical needle of claim 1 , wherein the pH is in the range of 2.4 to 1.7.

11. The blackened surgical needle of claim 10 , wherein the pH is in the range of 2.3 to 1.9.

Assignees

• Ethicon Inc

Inventors

• Ou Duan Li
• Vailhe Christophe

Classifications

• A61L2103/15

  Laboratory, medical or dentistry appliances, e.g. catheters or sharps · CPC title

• B08B3/12 Primary

  by sonic or ultrasonic vibrations · CPC title

• B08B3/08

  the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect · CPC title

• C11D7/265

  Carboxylic acids or salts thereof · CPC title

• C23G1/088 Primary

  solutions containing organic acids · CPC title