Inventors:
Douglas Snell - Amesbury MA, US
Keith Boudreau - Beverly MA, US
Daniel McCormick - Westford MA, US
Dan Morgan - Salem MA, US
Francis P. Harrington - Peabody MA, US
Paul Westhaver - Dartmouth, CA
David Marro - Magnolia MA, US
John Yannone - Seabrook NH, US
Philip Hui - Boston MA, US
Thomas Egan - Marblehead MA, US
International Classification:
A61B 17/10
Abstract:
A method of suture welding is disclosed which includes: receiving suture segments between first and second jaw members, the first and second jaw members being in an open state. closing the first and second jaw members to captively hold and position the suture segments between the first and second jaw members; selectively applying an elongated joiner element to the suture segments where the joiner element has a selectively operative heating element facing the suture segments; and applying energy to the heating element to weld the suture segments-to-be-welded, whereby the heating element has a temperature above a predetermined threshold adapted to at least partially melt the suture segments.