Sew Fine

In order to meet the growing and constantly changing surgical suturing needs of the Medical Profession, Harry Shonteff has founded two companies with distinctly different missions. He has pioneered in the invention of automated medical machines and devices and continues to lead both companies.

sew fine logo.jpg

Sew Fine, LLC
San Francisco, CA (USA)

Sew Fine is focused on Inventing, Consulting, and Troubleshooting

for sewing applications in the Global Medical Devices Industry. We design automated and robotic machines for use in “clean room” environments

used in the production of Class 2 and Class 3 medical devices.

OUR MISSION
To help meet the present and future medical needs of humanity in our rapidly changing surgical sewing world.

OUR EXPERIENCE

Without revealing any of the products or even companies that we have worked with in this field, we will point out some of the areas of expertise that we have been deeply involved with over the past 39 years. Most of the machines that we have developed employ vision guided robotics, pneumatics, and customized unique needles, custom mandrill and indexing fixtures, specialized LED in arm lighting, and vacuum clamping :

Endovascular Stent Grafts and bifurcated Devices Vena Cava and aortic great vessel devices Coronary Care and HVT Devices Coronary arteries devicesPeripheral Vascular DevicesHuman and Pericardium Tissue Biologically Based Implanted Devices Custom Implants Custom needle development (double pointed and tubular) Epidermis, burn suit

OUR BROAD APPROACH

We foster and encourage an open and true collaborative relationship in our effort to maximize the unique contributions of engineers, team leaders, surgeons, management, and other creative staff members. Here are 3 basic flow charts to consider and choose from to suit your specific needs:

OUR INVENTIONS LAB

Sew Fine has an unusual Laboratory that has grown over the past 39 years. Starting with equipment designed to invent and build home sewing machines and accessories, it has steadily progressed though the eras of Commercial Sewing Machines, Electronically controlled Manufacturing Machines, and is currently equipped to handle the most sophisticated Automated Sewing Devices currently found on production lines and prototypes of Medical Suturing Machines. Our present lab offers:

Complete Sewing Machine Lab

An extraordinary variety and quantity of

Sewing machines, sewing machine parts, Needles of all sizes and types, belts, thread, plates, Bobbins, pulleys, foots, shuttles, springs, relays,

motors, solenoids, and other small parts

Complete Metal Machine Shop

4 Axis CNC Milling Machine and

3D Printing

Micro arc welding

Electronics and Medical Devices Lab

Sew Fine, LLC has been awarded the 2016 Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Awardsfor Excellence in-USA

SOME OF OUR PROTOTYPES

test002 401 chanelock

Lockstitch Lockstitch 401 2 thread Chainlock

test09 test08

Stent graft holding fixture 301 Lockstitch 205 Mechanical needle hand stitch

Line drawing of a project prototype

205 hand stitch with Double pointed needle

More Sketches

205 Handstitch with double pointed needle Sewing Tubes to Tubes

Small Tube sewed with 301 lockstitch Attaching a stent

AAA Stent Graft Schematic Diagram Pericardial Tissue for sewing

REINVENTING THE ART OF SEWING

Sew Fine, LLC is a small invention shop located in the hills of San Francisco. We specialize in the development of automated sewing machines used in manufacturing of medical devices. Our sewing machines are custom made, not converted, and are clean room compatible. Numerous FDA approved implantable and biological devices are manufactured using our sewing technologies.

Most medical devices are first designed, then prototyped using hand stitching. When the product goes into production often there is no sewing technology capable of producing the correct stitch in the required locations. Class 3 medical device manufacturing is generally a combination of new technologies and highly skilled hand sewing operations. This combination of talent and technology is used to produce finished implantable devices. It is often the case that as more sewn product is required hand sewing cannot keep up with the production flow. Many medical devices manufacturers have replaced much of the hand sewing with automated sewing equipment often utilizing vision guided robotic sewing machines. This offers a large reduction in manufacturing time, reduced labor related injuries, and a more precise sewn product as each stitch is positioned by computer controlled motors. Also suture tensions can be monitored/controlled and digitally recorded for backup data on every stitch.
Sew Fine, LLC specializes in developing equipment for sewing small tubular devices .250 and under. We also have methods for sewing very small (.040) tubular device for the stent graft industry's.

We are always interested in working on extremely challenging sewing applications. If you have a sewing project that cannot be sewn using conventional sewing technology, I would be happy to consider working with your team to develop an automated solution to your sewing challenges.

THE FUTURE OF SEWING

IN THE MEDICAL DEVICES FIELD

Sew Fine has been on the frontier of sewing innovations for the Medical Devices Field for approximately 38 years. We continually look towards the future and work with innovative people who seek new and reliable tools and machines designed to sew various body parts in humans and animals. We envision great changes in the traditional types of tools with the speedup and incorporation of Laser technology, Sound and Vision sensors, Metallurgy, Computer Technology, Modeling Equipment, Internal Imaging Machines, and others. Miniaturization and Combinations of Machines working together will increasingly assist physicians in their Diagnosis, Treatment and intervention for the sake of Humanity. Sewing has grown to be an intrinsic part of the future of Medicine.

AN INVITATION TO MEDICAL COMPANIES

Sew Fine, LLC specializes in developing equipment for sewing small tubular devices .500 and under. We also have devised methods for sewing very small (.040) tubular devices for the stent graft industry.

We are always interested in working on extremely challenging sewing applications. If you have a sewing project that cannot be sewn using conventional sewing technology, Sew Fine LLC would be happy to consider working with your team to develop an automated solution to your sewing challenges.

HARRY SHONTEFF, Inventor and Founder

Sew Fine, LLC
San Francisco, CA.

Email: mailto:shonteff@sbcglobal.net
Phone: 415-665-3447
Fax: 415-661-4586

DETAILS

The Fogarty Institute for innovation has been instrumental in the formation of Medical Sewing Solutions, LLC

Medical Sewing Solutions has been awarded the 2015 Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Awardsfor Excellence in-USA

October 22, 2014—The Fogarty Institute for Innovation announced that Thomas J. Fogarty, MD, has been awarded the Presidential National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the country’s highest honor for achievement and leadership in advancing the fields of science and technology. Dr. Fogarty received his award during a ceremony at the White House on November 20.

Medical Sewing Solutions LLC., with the help of the Fogarty Institute for Innovation, is developing novel sewing technologies for use in laparoscopic surgical applications. The sewing machines under development are small and completely mechanical, offering surgeons the ability to place a continuous chain of stitches within a body by pulling a trigger to produce each stitch. The designated stitch is the strongest and most elastic available, and the length can be determined stitch by stitch, as desired. In addition, the machines will work with a variety of suture and needle shapes and sizes.

There are many other possible applications for this sewing technology, including open surgical procedures, oral surgery, emergency wound care and veterinary medicine.

fogarty02

THE FOGARTY INSTITUTE FOR INNOVATION

The institute was founded by Dr.Thomas J. Fogarty, an internationally recognized cardiovascular surgeon and inventor. During the past 40 years, he has acquired over 100 medical patents, including the “industry standard” Fogarty Balloon Embolectomy Because of the decreased risk associated with the device, it became the industry standard. It is still the most widely used catheter for blood-clot removal today and has been used in over three hundred thousand procedures every year all over the world. It is estimated to have saved the lives and limbs of approximately fifteen million patients.

One of Dr. Fogarty’s most successful products is the Stent-Graft. This dealt with the difficult problem of abdominal aortic aneurysms, which is a term referring to a weakened blood vessel. The old method was to remove the bad part of a weakened blood vessel, but Fogarty’s idea was to support it with an implant. He used a stent, a thin polyester tube that grabs onto the blood vessels. A catheter transports the stent to the weakened blood vessel, and once the balloon is inflated, the stent expands to the size of the blood vessel, and blood flows normally. This widely used Aneurx Stent Graft that replaces traditional open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery. He also invented the Fogarty Clamp, which is used in cardiac surgeries. Dr. Fogarty is often referred to as the Thomas Edison of Medicine.

Several of Medical Solutions LLC Prototypes for either Hand Held or

Robotic Suturing Devices

Design 1. Prototype for a Hand Held Surgical Device. Patent pending.

Hand Held set 2013

4 Other Designed Prototypes for a Hand Held Surgical Device. Patents pending.

This sewing technology can be adapted to numerous handle configurations and can be mounted to surgical robots

HARRY SHONTEFF, Inventor and Founder

SEW FINE LLC.

San Francisco, CA.

Email: mailto:shonteff@sbcglobal.net

Phone: 415-665-3447

Reference and Educational pages provided by Sew Fine, LLC

We are happy to provide this organized reference material and annotated information for dealers and other people interested in sewing machines .We have compiled thousands of entries from around the world in three major categories:

Industrial Sewing Machines

Home use Sewing machine dealers

. Other useful Links for Schools and Sewing Career Planning

Industrial Sewing Machines:
Garment Production Machines: Lockstitch, Single or Double Needle Lockstitch,

Cylinder Arm, Flatbed.
Leather & Heavy Needle Work Machines: Lockstitch / Chain stitch / Chain lock, Flaor Double Needle, Cylinder Arm , Feed off the arm, Feed up the arm, and Post Bed

Heavy Duty Zigzag Machines: Lockstitch and Zigzag. Used for sails, tents, tarps, shoes and

webbing
Harness and Saddle Equipment Information:
Embroidery & Monogramming Machines: Chain Stitch, Top Feed and Zigzag Monogramming.
Sergers: Three Thread, Four Thread (Mock Safety) and Five Thread (Safety Stitch) and six

thread for overcastting edges.
Blind stitch Machines: One or Two Thread Blind stitch (Blind stitch and Lockstitch Blind

stitch).
Automated Machines and Equipment: Pocket Welters, Pocket Sewers, Automobile airbags

and more.
Special Purpose Machines: Hat Machines, Bag Closers, Chain lock and Multi-needle

Machines, vascular equipment.
Button Machines: Button Sewers, Tackers and Buttonhole Machines.
Feed Off the Arm & Coverstitch Machines: Flat lock, Feed Off the Arm and Coverstitch

Carpet Serging, Binding and Cutting Machines: Binders, Fringers, Sergers, Carvers, Cutters

    and bevelers
Quilting
Textile Measuring, Inspecting, Cutting & Folding Equipment
Finishing Machines: Steam Presses, Air Finishers, etc.
Cutting: Cutting Machines, Tables, Spreaders, CADs & Slitters, etc.
Parts for Dealers: New and used parts for sewing machines and industrial equipment.
Industrial Stands
Services: Industrial Sewing Machine Repairs, Consultant Services , Financing
    Overhead Electrification Systems