Surgical cutting tool

• US 4,943,295 A
• Filed: 07/13/1988
• Issued: 07/24/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Original Assignee: Mark T. Hartlaub, Paul P. Hartlaub, Thaddeus J. Hartlaub
• Inventors: Hartlaub, Thaddeus J., Hartlaub, Paul P., Hartlaub, Mark T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thaler, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US07/218,072
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 128/304, 128/305, 128/355, 128/757, 604/22, 30/329, 30/334, 30/337, 30/314, 30/346.57, 30/346.58, 30/346.59, 30/346.60, 30/346.5, 606/131, 606/132, 606/167
• US Class Current: 606/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3205 Excision instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3211 Surgical scalpels, knives; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/322 Skin grafting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00761 Removing layer of skin tissue, e.g. wrinkles, scars or cancerous tissue

Abstract

A surgical cutting tool which may be used in cutting away protruberances from the skin of an individual includes a thin flexible blade including two side margins and a front margin which is keen-edged, and two finger grips which each include an engagement surface affixed to and extending along one side margin of the blade, and an outwardly facing gripping surface so that the tool can be held by the finger grips and thereby safely, easily and comfortably bent into an arcuate shape for cutting, by bringing the finger grips closer together. Preferably each gripping surface forms a rounded notch conforming in approximate shape to a finger. The gripping surface forming the notch may include gripping protrusions which enable a user'"'"'s fingers to grip the tool by the finger grips firmly. The tool preferably includes a sheath-like guard formed from flexible material which is affixed to and extends along and covers a rear margin of the blade between the finger grips. Although the guard protects a user of the tool from the keen-edged blade rear margin, the flexible material from which it is formed allows the user to bend the blade without substantial resistance from the guard.

Claims

1. A surgical cutting tool for cutting below the surface of human skin, comprising:

(a) a thin flexible blade which includes two side margins and a front margin which is keen-edged; and

(b) two finger grips for gripping by the fingers of a user, each finger grip being a body of material which includes an inwardly facing engagement surface affixed to and extending along one side margin of the blade; and

an outwardly facing gripping surface spaced laterally outwardly from the side margin of the blade, the gripping surface presenting a relatively large surface area compared to the side margin of the blade so that the tool can be controlled and held safely by finger engagement of the gripping surfaces and having a rounded notch which conforms in approximate shape to a finger;

(c) the flexible blade being readily bendable in response to finger pressure applied to the relatively large surface areas of the gripping surfaces of the two finger grips so that the keen-edged front margin of the flexible blade presents a variable convex U-shaped cutting edge for cutting a selected depth beneath a limited area of skin surfaces.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein each gripping surface forming the notch includes gripping protrusions within the notch which enable a user'"'"'s fingers to grip the tool firmly by the finger grips.

3. The tool of claim 2 wherein the protrusions are ridge-like and extend substantially from a front to a rear of the notch.

4. A surgical cutting tool, comprising:

(a) a thin flexible blade which includes two side margins and a front margin which is keen-edged;

(b) two finger grips, each finger grip being a body of material which includes an inwardly facing engagement surface affixed to and extending along one side margin of the blade; and

an outwardly facing gripping surface spaced laterally outwardly from the side margin of the blade, the gripping surface being substantially thicker than the blade so that the tool can be held safely by the gripping surfaces and the keen-edged front margin of the blade bent into a U-shape by bringing the finger grips substantially closer together; and

(c) a guard having a sheath-like body formed of a flexible material which includes an engaging surface which is affixed to and which extends along and covers a rear margin of the blade between the finger grips, the flexible material allowing the blade to bend.

5. The tool of claim 4 wherein the engaging surface forms a slit into which the rear margin is ensheathed.

6. The tool of claim 5 wherein the material forming the slit within the guard is bonded to the blade rear margin.

7. The tool of claim 4 wherein the guard and finger grips are integrally formed as a unitary structure.

8. A blade holder for safely forming a thin flexible blade with two side margins and a keen-edged front margin into a surgical cutting tool for removing portions of human skin by cutting below the surface of the skin, comprising:

two finger grips for gripping by the fingers of a user, each finger grip being a body of material which includes an inwardly facing engagement surface which can be affixed to and extend along one blade side margin, and an outwardly facing gripping surface which is spaced laterally outwardly from the blade side margin when the finger grips are affixed to the blade, the gripping surface presenting a relatively large area for gripping compared to the area of the side margin of the blade so that the blade holder and blade can be controlled and held safely by finger engagement of the gripping surfaces so that the flexible blade may be readily bent in response to finger pressure applied to the relatively large surface areas of the gripping surfaces of the two finger grips and the keen-edged front margin of the flexible blade presents a variable convex U-shaped cutting edge for cutting a selected depth beneath a limited area of skin surface and wherein each gripping surface has a rounded notch which conforms in approximate shape to a finger.

9. The blade holder of claim 8 wherein each gripping surface forming the notch includes gripping protrusions within the notch which enable a user'"'"'s finger to grip the blade holder and blade firmly by the finger grips.

10. The blade holder of claim 9 wherein the protrusions are ridge-like and extend substantially from a front to a rear of the notch.

11. A blade holder for safely handling a thin flexible blade with two side margins and a keen-edged front margin, comprising:

(a) two finger grips being a body of material which includes an inwardly facing engagement surface which can be affixed to and extend along one blade side margin, and an outwardly facing gripping surface which is spaced laterally outwardly from the blade side margin when the finger grips are affixed to the blade, the gripping surface being substantially thicker than the blade so that the blade holder and blade can be held safely by the gripping surfaces and the keen-edged front margin of the blade bent into a U-shape by bringing the finger grips substantially closer together; and

(b) a guard having a sheath-like body formed of a flexible material which includes an engaging surface which is to be affixed to a rear margin of the blade so that the guard extends along and covers the rear margin between the finger grips, the flexible material allowing the blade to bend.

12. The blade holder of claim 11 wherein the engaging surface forms a slit into which the blade rear margin an be ensheathed.

13. The blade holder of claim 11, wherein the guard and finger grips are integrally formed as a unitary structure.