Forceps with integrated blade

• US 10,456,126 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chris Geiger
• Original Assignee: Chris Geiger
• Inventors: Geiger, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Anh T
• Application Number:
  US14/875,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20170095248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0467 Instruments for cutting sutures surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0483 Hand-held instruments for holding sutures A61B17/0469 takes precedence; other holders for needles or sutures A61B17/06061; surgical forceps A61B17/28; surgical pincettes A61B17/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/28 Surgical forceps for holding suture needles or materials A61B17/0483; for removing or smashing calculi A61B17/221; surgical scissors A61B17/3201 ; obstetrical forceps A61B17/44; for inserting intraocular lenses A61F2/1662; hand-held gripping tools in general B25B7/00 ]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/285 combined with cutting implements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/30 Surgical pincettes without pivotal connectionsfor holding suture needles or materials A61B17/0483; wound clamps A61B17/08 ; hand-held gripping tools without pivotal connections in general B25B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00353 one mechanical instrument performing multiple functions, e.g. cutting and grasping
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2837 with a locking ratchet

Abstract

An apparatus includes a gripping instrument that includes a first arm and a second arm disposed opposite the first arm. The first arm and the second arm are joined at a joint, where an end of the first arm opposite the joint is configured to move towards an end of the second arm opposite the joint in a gripping direction. The apparatus further includes a blade disposed on the first arm, where the blade is oriented at an angle that is non-parallel to the gripping direction.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

two arms, each of the two arms including a first end and a second end, wherein the two arms are joined at the first ends so as to form a handle, wherein the second ends are configured to be positioned in an open position where the two second ends are not in contact and in a closed position where the two second ends are in contact, wherein when in the open position, the two second ends define two points on a line, wherein the line defines a gripping direction between the open position and the closed position, wherein at least one of the two arms defines a main portion and a tip portion, wherein the second end of the at least one of the two arms is disposed at a distal end of the tip portion, wherein the main portion extends along a main axis and the tip portion extends along a tip axis, and wherein the tip axis is disposed at a first angle to the main axis; and

a blade disposed on at least one of the two arms, wherein the blade comprises a body that defines a plane and a cutting edge disposed at a second angle to the plane, wherein the plane is disposed at a third angle that is non-parallel to the line, and wherein the blade spans the first angle between the main portion and the tip portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blade is connected to the tip portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, where the blade is connected to the main portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a guard connected to the at least one of the two arms, such that the blade is disposed between the tip portion and the guard.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the guard is connected to the tip portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the guard is connected to the main portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a guard blade disposed on the guard, wherein the guard blade projects toward the blade.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a gripping instrument, the gripping instrument comprising a first arm and a second arm disposed opposite the first arm, wherein the first arm and the second arm are joined at a joint, wherein a first end of the first arm opposite the joint is configured to move towards a second end of the second arm opposite the joint in a gripping direction, wherein at least the first arm defines a main portion and a tip portion, wherein the main portion extends along a main axis and the tip portion extends along a tip axis, wherein the tip axis is disposed at a first angle to the main axis, and wherein the first end of the first arm is disposed at a distal end of the tip portion;

a blade disposed on the tip portion of the first arm, wherein the blade is oriented in at a second angle that is substantially parallel to the tip portion and non-parallel to the gripping direction; and

a guard disposed on the first arm at a third angle substantially parallel to the tip portion, wherein an edge of the blade is disposed between the guard and the tip portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second angle is substantially orthogonal to the gripping direction.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second angle is between about 90 degrees and about 75 degrees to the gripping direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the gripping instrument is at least one of forceps, tweezers, and tongs.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the joint comprises at least one of a rivet, a screw, and a bolt.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the joint comprises a live hinge connecting the first arm and the second arm.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the joint comprises at least one of an adhesive and a weld.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a guard blade disposed on the guard.

16. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a blade disposed on the second arm.

17. A method comprising:

gripping a gripping instrument in a first orientation;

actuating the gripping instrument into a gripping position without releasing the gripping instrument from the first orientation, wherein the gripping instrument comprises a first arm having a first end and a second arm having a second end, wherein at least the first end is disposed at an angle with respect to an axis of the first arm, and wherein actuating the gripping instrument moves the first end toward the second end in a gripping direction; and

cutting a target with a blade disposed on the first end of the gripping instrument, wherein the cutting operation is performed discrete from the actuating operation and without releasing the gripping instrument from the first orientation, and wherein the cutting operation is performed at an angle that is non-parallel to the gripping direction.