Automate Your Cannula & Cystotome Needle Bending Manufacturing To Improve Quality & Increase Throughput

So, what is the difference between blunt needles and cystotome cannula needles? Blunt Cannula needles are thin, hollow tubes with blunt ends which are utilized for a variety of medical applications, such as wound irrigation, administering medicine, and precision fluid dispensing.  Because these needles have blunt tips, they cannot readily pierce through skin; they require another sharp needle or tool to create an entry point.  While cannulas are made from a number of materials, one of the most commonly used is stainless steel.   

Cystotome cannula needles have sharp tips, which enable them to create their own entry points.  Cystotome cannula needles are typically used for fluid and drug delivery, puncturing, piercing, scraping, and precision surgical cuts.   Cystotome needles are commonly used in many different surgical procedures, including ophthalmic procedures, in which the needles are bent to a particular angle or radius to conform with the convexity of the crystalline lens to assist the physician in surgery. 

AUTOMATING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS WITH NEEDLE BENDING MACHINES

Cannula needles are manufactured by gluing straight lengths of different gauge tubular steel into luer locking hubs.  The assembled needles are then bent to the desired bend angle or radii.

Manual cystotome needle bending operations typically proceed as follows: 

1. The technician removes the protective sheath;
2. Places the needle under a microscope;
3. Orientates the tip angle to the bend angle;
4. Manually bends the needle blank to the desired angle or radius;
5. Replaces the protective sheath.

The maximum yield of the manual process is less than 400 finished units per hour. 

Manual cystotome bending operations are slow and tedious, with varying results.  The operator is also at risk while manually handling the sharp needles.  Intec’s development of automated cystotome needle bending machines has enabled bending operations to increase in throughput, while enhancing overall product quality.  The machines use automation technology to infeed needle blanks with their protective sheaths, remove the sheath, orientate the needle/tip to the desired position, bend the needle to the required angle or radius, inspect the bend with a vision quality control system, replace the sheath, and outfeed the completed product into a bulk bin.  Automation systems help cannula needle manufacturers and resellers increase their production capacities and improve overall product quality. 

Intec Automation has decades of experience designing and building automated needle bending machines and can accelerate bending operations by a minimum of 8-10 times the manual throughput, with one automated system, which will produce in excess of 3,600 finished parts per hour. 

VISION INSPECTION IN CYSTOTOME NEEDLE BENDING MACHINES

In addition to faster production, automated bending machines can utilize vision inspection to quickly assess multiple features and checks, including: 

• Hub Glue – Presence and Geometry 
• Radius and Bend Angles
• Tip Angle and Orientation
• Overall Needle Length

KEY ADVANTAGES OF AUTOMATED NEEDLE BENDING MACHINES

• Higher Quality.  Automated machines typically have inspection systems which are used to quickly and efficiently perform vision inspection, flow testing, and other critical quality inspections.
• Increased Throughput.  Automating needle bending can increase throughput by a minimum of 8-10 times (compared to a manual process), producing 3,600 finished parts per hour.
• Better Repeatability and Consistency.  Automation technology enables bending operations to be consistently performed with a high degree of accuracy, precision, and repeatability. 
• Lower Risk of Contamination.  Since automated needle bending machines run with little to no human interaction, they reduce the risk of organic matter contamination. 
• Improved Safety.  Automated needle bending machines improve employee safety as the employees are only required to handle sheathed needles.  All operational needle enhancements are performed by the automation system and the needles are re-sheathed prior to operator handling and packaging.  

AUTOMATED CANNULA NEEDLE CRIMP & BEND SOLUTIONS BY INTEC AUTOMATION

Intec Automation has decades of expertise with automating needle bending, forming, and crimping, including but not limited to surgical needles, drilling needles, blunt cannulas, cystotome needles, and more.  Intec is committed to providing innovative custom automation systems that help customers achieve and exceed their production objectives.  To learn more, contact us today at sales@intecautomation.com.