Labelling System
A method of labelling an instrument comprising the steps of: providing a recess in a surface of the instrument, the recess having a lowermost surface and an uppermost aperature, the lowermost surface having a larger surface area than the area of said uppermost aperatuer; placing a coloured liquid resin into said recess; heating the instrument in order to cure said resin, whereby a coloured resin label is formed in said recess.
1 . A method of labelling an instrument comprising the steps of:
providing a recess in a surface of the instrument, the recess having a lowermost surface and an uppermost aperture, the lowermost surface having a larger surface area than the area of said uppermost aperture;
applying a coloured liquid resin into said recess;
heating the instrument in order to cure said resin, whereby a coloured resin label is formed in said recess.
2 . A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the walls of said recess taper inwardly from said lowermost surface to said uppermost aperture.
3 . A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said recess has a roughened or other friction-increasing wall.
4 . A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said recess is of substantially circular cross-section.
5 . A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said lowermost surface of the recess is generally conical.
6 . A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said recess is provided with a parallel-walled section at the uppermost surface thereof.
7 . A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims further comprising the step of preheating the instrument before applying the resin.
8 . A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said resin is applied to the recess using metering apparatus.
9 . A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the recess is filled with resin until a substantially concave meniscus is present at the uppermost aperture of the recess.
10 . A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said resin is a two-part liquid resin which is mixed before placing it in the recess.
11 . A method as claimed in claim 10 when dependent on claim 8 further comprising the step of mixing said resin in said metering apparatus.
12 . A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said resin is an epoxy resin selected from the group comprising: Master Bond EP42HT-2, Resin Tech RT156.
13 . A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said resin is cured for 24 hours at room temperature.
14 . A method as claimed in any of claims 1 - 12 wherein said resin is cured for 30 minutes at 75° C.
15 . A method as claimed in any of claims 1 - 12 wherein said resin is cured for 5 minutes at 100° C.
16 . A method as claimed in any of claims 1 - 12 wherein said resin is cured for 24 hours at room temperature and then 2 hours at 75° C.
17 . A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein two or more recesses are provided on the instrument.
18 . A method of labelling an instrument substantially as described herein with reference to any appropriate combination of the accompanying drawings.
19 . A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the instrument is a surgical instrument.
20 . An instrument labelled using the method of any of the preceding claims.