A method for manufacturing a surgical needle produced from a wire made of a hyperelastic or superelastic alloy including a NiTi alloy base includes: carrying out a cold shaping or a shaping at ambient temperature of the curved profile of the needle in an appropriate support; subjecting the needle in its support to a thermal treatment in order to memorize the imposed curved-profile geometry; cleaning the needle via a chemical stripping of the electrochemical or electrolytic polishing type or via a chemical solution in order to remove the layer of oxide deposited on the needle during its thermal treatment.

A method for manufacturing a surgical needle produced from a wire made of a hyperelastic or superelastic alloy including a NiTi alloy base includes: carrying out a cold shaping or a shaping at ambient temperature of the curved profile of the needle in an appropriate support; subjecting the needle in its support to a thermal treatment in order to memorize the imposed curved-profile geometry; cleaning the needle via a chemical stripping of the electrochemical or electrolytic polishing type or via a chemical solution in order to remove the layer of oxide deposited on the needle during its thermal treatment.

Methods for fabricating metallic microneedles are disclosed. One method comprises providing a mold pillar; forming an apertured electrically-conductive layer over the mold pillar; and depositing a metal layer over the electrically-conductive layer to provide an apertured microneedle. Another method comprises providing a mold pillar; depositing a first metal layer over the mold pillar to provide a first microneedle; removing the first microneedle from the mold pillar; and depositing a second metal layer over the mold pillar to provide a second microneedle.

Methods for fabricating metallic microneedles are disclosed. One method comprises providing a mold pillar; forming an apertured electrically-conductive layer over the mold pillar; and depositing a metal layer over the electrically-conductive layer to provide an apertured microneedle. Another method comprises providing a mold pillar; depositing a first metal layer over the mold pillar to provide a first microneedle; removing the first microneedle from the mold pillar; and depositing a second metal layer over the mold pillar to provide a second microneedle.

A swaging system for attaching surgical needles to sutures and testing the attachment strength includes a frame, a bottom swaging die mounted on the frame, and a top swaging die mounted on the frame and being moveable up and down along a swaging axis that is aligned with the bottom swaging die. The bottom swaging die includes a hinge mechanism with a bottom plate mounted to the frame and a top plate overlying the bottom plate. The top and bottom plates are pivotally connected for enabling the top plate to pivot relative to the bottom plate. The bottom swaging die includes a swaging tool that extends toward the top swaging die along the swaging axis, and a load cell disposed between the top and bottom plates for monitoring load. The system includes a control system having one or more pull test programs stored therein for evaluating pull tests on armed surgical needles to determine if the armed surgical needles are acceptable or unacceptable.

A method of fabricating a microneedle is disclosed, including: applying a force to a conductive wire to create a friction weld between the wire and a substrate; extruding the wire and interrupting the wire bonding process; and applying a wire weakening process at a desired microneedle length to cause the wire to break at the desired microneedle length. A microneedle array includes a substrate and a plurality of solid microneedles provided on the substrate. Adjacent microneedles may have different heights and different diameters. The substrate defines a plurality of microfluidic channels each having a channel outlet. the channel outlets provided adjacent the bases of the plurality of solid microneedles to enable drug delivery. The method and array overcome issues with needle stick injuries and needle phobia, and can be used without direct medical supervision, thus reducing healthcare expenditure.

Methods for fabricating metallic microneedles are disclosed. One method comprises providing a mold pillar; forming an apertured electrically-conductive layer over the mold pillar; and depositing a metal layer over the electrically-conductive layer to provide an apertured microneedle. Another method comprises providing a mold pillar; depositing a first metal layer over the mold pillar to provide a first microneedle; removing the first microneedle from the mold pillar; and depositing a second metal layer over the mold pillar to provide a second microneedle.

Methods for fabricating metallic microneedles are disclosed. One method comprises providing a mold pillar; forming an apertured electrically-conductive layer over the mold pillar; and depositing a metal layer over the electrically-conductive layer to provide an apertured microneedle. Another method comprises providing a mold pillar; depositing a first metal layer over the mold pillar to provide a first microneedle; removing the first microneedle from the mold pillar; and depositing a second metal layer over the mold pillar to provide a second microneedle.

Methods for fabricating metallic microneedles are disclosed. One method comprises providing a mold pillar; forming an apertured electrically-conductive layer over the mold pillar; and depositing a metal layer over the electrically-conductive layer to provide an apertured microneedle. Another method comprises providing a mold pillar; depositing a first metal layer over the mold pillar to provide a first microneedle; removing the first microneedle from the mold pillar; and depositing a second metal layer over the mold pillar to provide a second microneedle.

Methods for fabricating metallic microneedles are disclosed. One method comprises providing a mold pillar; forming an apertured electrically-conductive layer over the mold pillar; and depositing a metal layer over the electrically-conductive layer to provide an apertured microneedle. Another method comprises providing a mold pillar; depositing a first metal layer over the mold pillar to provide a first microneedle; removing the first microneedle from the mold pillar; and depositing a second metal layer over the mold pillar to provide a second microneedle.