An active anvil assembly for use in forming a looped suture is provided. The active anvil assembly includes an anvil member, a first sensor operably connected to the anvil member, and a control assembly. The first sensor is configured for measuring at least one of force, torque, and distance feedback. Also provided are systems and methods for forming a looped suture including an active anvil assembly.

A preform charge is formed by forming an assemblage of preforms, wherein preforms in the assemblage are bonded to a neighboring preform such that the preform charge effectively becomes a single unit. The preform charge can then be added to a mold to fabricate a part via compression molding.

A method for creating a termination by attaching some kind of fitting to the end of a tensile member such as a cable. The end fitting is provided with one or more internal cavities. Each cavity has a proximal portion that is adjacent to the area where the tensile member exits the fitting and a distal portion on its opposite end. A length of the tensile member's filaments is placed within this expanding cavity and infused with liquid potting compound. The method exploits the characteristic of a liquid potting compound as it transitions to a solid. Once the potting compound in at least a portion of the cavity has transitioned sufficiently to hold the filaments at a desired level, tension is placed on the tensile member and a small linear displacement may be imposed on the tensile member. This linear displacement tends to pull the filaments residing in the potting compound into better alignment and improve load sharing. The invention can be applied to single fittings having multiple cavities and to multiple fittings having only one cavity per fitting.

A medical device includes a filament having a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion of the filament is coupled to a needle. The medical device also includes an energy delivery device. The energy delivery device has a first arm and a second arm. The energy delivery device is configured to delivery energy to a portion of the filament when the portion of the filament is disposed between the first arm and the second arm.

The present invention relates to a brush with fusion interlocking bristle strip and a method of manufacturing the same. The brush includes carrier strips and knotted bristle strips bonded together by ultrasonic welding and interlocking.

An endless fabric belt having a seam region, the seam region comprising: a) machine direction (MD) threads; b) cross-direction (CD) threads interwoven with the MD threads; and c) termination zones distributed throughout the entire seam region, with each termination zone comprising two ends of an MD thread; wherein: a plurality of the CD threads are fusible, with the fusible (F) and non-fusible (N) CD threads distributed in a pattern throughout the seam region such that in a repeating unit of the pattern, the ratio of F threads to CD threads is at most 0.75; and a plurality of the termination zones further comprise at least one fusible CD thread attached to the MD thread in the termination zone.

A molding apparatus for a loop structure includes a molding die within which both ends of an elongated structure are located in such a manner that the ends are in contact with each other, the elongated structure being formed of a rubber to which a peroxide cross-linking agent is added; a liftable housing including a lower part having an opening, the housing defining a containment space within which the molding die and the elongated structure are located when the housing is lowered; a degassing device configured to depressurize and degas the containment space; a heating device configured to heat the molding die in the containment space; a pressure device configured to pressurize the ends of the elongated structure with the use of the heated molding die in the containment space to proceed cross-linking reaction of the rubber, thereby bonding the ends of the elongated structure; and an elevating device configured to lift and lower the housing.

A method for joining braids that are used for a braid-reinforced hollow fiber membrane, produced by the method inserting a core material into the hollow parts of ends of two braids to be joined to connect the two braids, covering the joint part with a heat-shrinkable tube, and shrinking the heat-shrinkable tube by heating at 120 to 160 C., thereby joining the braid ends together, and that can exhibit sufficient joint strength when load is applied during spinning, or when a porous hollow fiber membrane is used as a treatment membrane for water purification treatment, sewage and waste water treatment, etc. A braid-reinforced porous hollow fiber membrane is produced by allowing braids whose ends are joined by the above method to pass through the inner nozzle of a double annular spinning nozzle, applying a membrane-forming dope discharged from the outer nozzle of the double annular spinning nozzle to the outer surfaces of the joined braids passing through the inner nozzle of the double annular spinning nozzle for impregnation, then coagulating the braids in a coagulating liquid, and winding the braids on a bobbin.

An apparatus for fabricating an elastic nonwoven material generally includes a rotary ultrasonic horn and a rotary anvil positionable in close proximity to the ultrasonic horn. The anvil has a face with a width and a circumferential axis. The face has a plurality of ridges each of which defines a plurality of interspaced lands and notches.

The present invention concerns a method of bundling a plurality of monofilaments into a bundle of monofilaments by means of a laser, a paint brush head including such bundle of monofilaments and a paint brush including such paint brush head.