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A method for forming blunt surgical needles having a radiused tip includes tumbling the surgical needles in a tumbling medium for a period of time sufficient to achieve a desired radius on the tip of the needle. The needles to be radiused may be taper pointed needles, taper pointed needles with a po

A method for forming blunt surgical needles having a radiused tip includes tumbling the surgical needles in a tumbling medium for a period of time sufficient to achieve a desired radius on the tip of the needle. The needles to be radiused may be taper pointed needles, taper pointed needles with a portion of the tip removed, or partially completed tapered needles. Tumbling may be performed in one or more tumbling steps using abrasive and/or burnishing media If an abrasive tumbling operation is used, preferably a second tumbling operation is performed with a hard, smooth medium which burnishes rather than abrades the needle. The tumbling media used to form a radius on the needle tip preferably is wet and can be acidic, neutral, or alkaline. The radiused needles may be polished by subsequent tumbling in a substantially dry tumbling medium.

대표청구항 ▼

[What is claimed is:] [1.]a) providing surgical needle with a sharp pointed tip;b) forming a substantially hemispherical radius on the tip of said surgical needle by a first tumbling operation in a tumbler with an abrasive first medium for a first duration of tumbling time; andc) burnishing the surg

[What is claimed is:] [1.]a) providing surgical needle with a sharp pointed tip;b) forming a substantially hemispherical radius on the tip of said surgical needle by a first tumbling operation in a tumbler with an abrasive first medium for a first duration of tumbling time; andc) burnishing the surgical needle by a second tumbling operation in a tumbler with a second medium for a second duration of tumbling time, wherein the second medium comprises particles having a hardness greater than that of the needles and having no surface feature with a radius less than the diameter of the needle.