Heater assembly for suture welder

1. A heater device for thermally welding suture strands, comprising:

A. a non-conductive substrate extending from a first end to a second end and being elongated along a substrate axis, and having a substantially planar heater support surface;

B. an electrically conductive joinder layer disposed on said heater support surface;

C. an electrically conductive heater element extending from a first end to a second end and being elongated along a heater axis thereof and disposed on said joinder layer, said heater element being a layer and being coupled to said support surface by said joinder layer;

D. an electrical interface including a first electrically conductive element coupled to said first end of said heater element, and a second electrically conductive element coupled to said second end of said heater element

wherein said electrical interface includes:

i. a first wire extending from said first end of said substrate; and

ii. a second wire extending from said second end of said substrate, and

iii. a first electrically conductive layer disposed on said substrate and said joinder layer, and electrically coupling said first wire and said first end of said heater element, and

iv. a second electrically conductive layer disposed on said substrate and said joinder layer, and electrically coupling said second wire and said second end of said heater element.

2. A heater device according to claim 1 , wherein said substrate includes:

a first open-faced groove in said first end thereof and extending from and at least in part orthogonal to said support layer, and

a second open-faced groove in said second end thereof and extending from and at least in part orthogonal to said support layer,

wherein said first groove and said second groove each include a metal layer disposed at least in part thereon, and wherein said first wire and said second wire are bonded to a respective one of said metal layers of said first groove and said second groove.

3. A heater device according to claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second wires extend from respective ends of the substrate in a direction at least in part orthogonal to said support surface.

4. A heating device according to claim 1 wherein said heater element layer has a thickness in the range 2000-3000 Angstroms.

5. A heating device according to claim 1 , wherein said heater element is gold.

6. A heating device according to claim 1 , wherein said joinder layer has a thickness in the range 300-500 Angstroms.

7. A heating device according to claim 6 , wherein said joinder layer is a tungsten alloy.

8. A heating device according to claim 2 , wherein said metal layers are gold.

9. A heating device according to claim 8 , wherein said metal layers have a thickness in the range of 900-1100 Angstroms.

10. A heater device according to claim 2 , wherein said bonding between said first and second wires to said metal layers of said grooves is solderless.

11. A heater device according to claim 10 , wherein said bonding is at least in part a thermal compression weld.

12. A heater device according to claim 10 , wherein said grooves have a partial conical contour and said bonding is at least in part an interference fit.

13. A heater device according to claim 1 , wherein said heater element is a resistive temperature device (RTD) having resistivity which varies monotonically with temperature over a predetermined operating temperature range.

14. A heater device according to claim 13 , further comprising a heater controller responsive to an input signal representative of a desired temperature TD, to heat said heater element to said desired temperature TD, said heater controller being coupled to said first and second wires, and adapted for application of a current therethrough, said current when passing through said heater element, effecting resistive losses therein to cause said heater element to be at a temperature T.

15. A heater according to claim 14 , wherein said heater controller is responsive in a closed loop to a detected resistance of said heater element between said two wires to adjustably control said current whereby said temperature T substantially equals TD over said operating range.

16. A heater device according to claim 15 , wherein said heater controller includes a bridge circuit with said heater element forming an arm in said bridge circuit.

17. A heater device according to claim 3 , wherein the first and second grooves each receive a respective one of the first and second wires at least partially therewithin.

18. A heater device according to claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second wires are positioned orthogonal and adjacent to a respective one of the first and second grooves, along a side of the substrate opposite the heater element, said wires expending in a direction at least in part orthogonal to the substrate axis.

19. A heater device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second wires is positioned adjacent a respective end of the substrate, along a side of the substrate opposite the heater element.

20. A heather device of claim 19 further comprising conductive material on the surface of the substrate extending from regions adjacent each of the first and second wires to the first and second conductive layers, respectively, wherein said conductive material electrically couples each of the first and second wires to the first and second conductive layers, respectively.

21. A heater device according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical interface is configured such that, during operation, current flowing between the heater element and the first and second wires is confined to a path along the outside surfaces of the substrate.

22. A heater device according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a ceramic material or a polyimide material.

23. An apparatus for welding sutures comprising:

a first heater device s set forth in claim 1 and a second heater device, each of said heater devices adapted to simultaneously generate heat and sense temperature;

wherein, during a welding operation, the first and second heater devices operate alternatively at repetitive intervals such that during every other interval the first heater is turned while the second heater is turned off, and during each respective succeeding interval the second heater is turned on while the first heater is turned off.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the second heater device comprises:

A. a substrate extending from a first end to a second end along a substrate axis, and having a substantially planar heater support surface;

B. a joinder layer disposed on said heater support surface;

C. a heater element extending from a first end to a second end along a heater axis thereof and disposed on said joinder layer, said heater element being a layer and being coupled to said support surface by said joinder layer;

D. an electrical interface including a first electrically conductive element coupled to said first end of said heater element, and a second electrically conductive element coupled to said second end of said heater element.

25. The device of claim 24 , wherein each of the repetitive intervals is an interval of about 20 milliseconds.

26. The device of claim 25 , wherein, during a welding operation, the first and second heater devices operate alternatively at repetitive intervals for a total period of less than about 10 seconds.