Needle supply device

PCT No. PCT/JP97/00184 Sec. 371 Date Sep. 29, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Sep. 29, 1997 PCT Filed Jan. 28, 1997 PCT Pub. No. WO97/27805 PCT Pub. Date Aug. 7, 1997This invention relates to a needle supply device for use in a needle attached suture manufacturing apparatus or its equivalent to automatically supply curved needles one by one to a predetermined position of the apparatus in a state that the needle is accurately set in the same posture. The needle supply device has a passage defining member 32 including a needle storage portion 42, passages 44 and 46, and a needle discharge tray 55 in this order. By driving the passage defining member 32 to vibrate, needles N set on the needle storage portion 42 proceed along the passages 44 and 46 toward the needle discharge tray 55. There are provided selecting units 48, 50, and 52 each in a certain passage form on the way of the passages 44 and 46 to exclusively allow the needles N in the predetermined posture to pass while maintaining the predetermined posture.