Double-bladed scalpel

• US 5,100,391 A
• Filed: 04/02/1991
• Issued: 03/31/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: King, Jerry J., Schutte, Michael J.
• Original Assignee: King, Jerry J., Schutte, Michael J.
• Inventors: Schutte, Michael J., King, Jerry J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, WILLIAM W
• Application Number:
  US07/679,646
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 606/167, 606/170, 606/160, 606/183, 606/166, 30/121, 30/131, 30/113.1, 30/173, 30/304
• US Class Current: 606/167
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3211 Surgical scalpels, knives; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3213 with detachable blades

Abstract

A double-bladed scalpel for removal of tissues requiring consistent width along their length. Identical metal scalpel blades are mounted to an integral rigid supporting handle. The two blades protrude outwardly from one bifurcated handle end. A contoured finger rest permits the user to exert substantial cutting pressure when using the scalpel in applications where scribing of bony tissue is required.

Claims

1. A double bladed scalpel, comprising:

a rigid handle;

a pair of cutting blades outwardly protruding from one end of the handle in transversely-spaced parallel side-by-side positions across the handle, each blade having a sharpened lower edge extending to an outer blade end;

the blades each having an inner blade end, the inner blade ends of the two blades being mounted to the one end of the handle;

the one end of the elongated handle being bifurcated into two integral rigid extensions arranged in transversely-spaced parallel side-by-side positions across the one end of the handle, each extension overlapping and individually supporting one of the blades to prevent splaying of the outwardly protruding blade portions.

2. The double-bladed scalpel of claim 1, wherein the handle is made of plastic resin material.

3. The double-bladed scalpel of claim 1, wherein the handle is made of metal.

4. The double-bladed scalpel of claim 1, wherein the blades are permanently fixed to the handle.

5. The double-bladed scapel of claim 1, wherein the blades are releasably mounted to the handle.

6. The double-bladed scalpel of claim 1, wherein each extension overlaps a single side of a blade.

7. A double-bladed scalpel, comprising:

a rigid elongated handle;

a pair of identical elongated cutting blades, each blade having a sharpened lower edge extending to an outer blade end;

the blades each having an inner blade end, the inner blade ends of the two blades being mounted to one end of the handle in parallel side-by-side positions protruding outwardly from the one handle end;

the one end of the elongated handle being bifurcated into two integral rigid extensions, each extension individually supporting one of the blades;

the elongated handle including a contoured finger rest formed across its upper surface, the finger rest terminating in a transverse ridge extending across the full width of the handle at a location inwardly adjacent to its one end; and

the inner ends of the blades being located at a longitudinal position under the finger rest.

8. A double bladed scalpel, comprising:

a rigid elongated handle, the handle having an exterior cross-sectional shape in the form of a thickened rectangle to fit a user'"'"'s hand when grasped in a pencil-like grip and to assist in preventing twisting of the handle within the hands of a user during harvesting of a strip of tissue requiring parallel edges;

a pair of identical elongated cutting blades outwardly protruding from one end of the handle in transversely-spaced parallel side-by-side positions across the handle, each blade having an elongated upper edge and an elongated lower edge, the lower edge of each blade being sharpened and extending to an outer blade end at which it meets the upper edge;

the blades each having an inner blade end, the inner blade ends being mounted to the one end of the handle;

the one end of the elongated handle being bifurcated into two integral rigid extensions having lengths less than the lengths of the blades and being arranged in transversely-spaced parallel side-by-side positions across the handle, each extension overlapping and individually supporting one of the blades to prevent splaying of the outwardly protruding blade portions.

9. A double-bladed scalpel, comprising:

a rigid elongated handle having an exterior cross-sectional shape in the form of a thickened rectangle to fit a user'"'"'s hand when grasped in a pencil-like grip and to assist in preventing twisting of the handle within the hands of a user during harvesting of a strip of tissue requiring parallel edges;

a pair of identical cutting blades, each blade having an elongated upper edge and an elongated lower edge, the lower edge of each blade being sharpened and extending to an outer blade end at which it meets the upper edge;

the blades each having an inner blade end, the inner blade ends being mounted to one end of the handle in parallel side-by-side positions protruding longitudinally outward from the handle;

the one end of the elongated handle being bifurcated into two intergral rigid extensions, each extension individually supporting one of the blades;

the elongated handle including a contoured finger rest formed across its upper surface, the finger rest terminating in a transverse ridge extending across the full width of the handle at a location inwardly adjacent to its one end;

the inner ends of the blades being located under the finger rest.

10. A double bladed scalpel, comprising:

a contoured elongated handle formed integrally of rigid material, the handle having an exterior cross-sectional shape in the form of a thickened rectangle shaped to fit a user'"'"'s hand when grasped in a pencil-like grip and to assist in preventing twisting of the handle within the hands of a user during harvesting of a strip of patellar tendon tissue and an adjacent strip of bone from the tibial tuberosity where consistency in width is required on the harvested tissue to assure maximum strength in the resulting graft;

a pair of identical metal cutting blades outwardly protruding from one end of the handle in transversely-spaced parallel side-by-side positions across the handle, each blade having an elongated upper edge and an elongated lower edge, the lower edge of each blade being sharpened and extending to an outer blade end at which it meets the upper edge;

the blades each having an inner blade end, the inner blade ends being mounted to the one end to the handle with portions of their respective lower edges protruding longitudinally outward from the one handle end, the inner end of each blade being substantially overlapped by the one handle end to prevent splaying of the protruding blade portions while scribing bony tissue underlying the harvested tendon;

the one end of the elongated handle being bifurcated into two integral rigid extensions having lengths less than the lengths of the blades and being arranged in transversely-spaced parllel side-by-side positions across the one end of the handle, each extension substantially overlapping and individually supporting one of the blades to prevent splaying of the outwardly protruding blade portions during harvesting of graft tissue in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructive surgery.

11. A double-bladed scalpel for the harvesting of graft tissue in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructive surgery, comprising:

contoured elongated handle formed integrally of rigid material, the handle having an exterior cross-sectional shape in the form of a thickened rectangle shaped to fit a user'"'"'s hand when grasped in a pencil-like grip and to assist in preventing twisting of the handle within the hands of a user during harvesting of a strip of patellar tendon tissue and an adjacent strip of bone from the tibial turberosity requiring consistency in width for maximum strength in the resulting graft;

a pair of identical metal cutting blades, each blade having an elongated upper edge and an elongated lower edge, the lower edge of each blade being sharpened and extending to an outer blade end at which it meets the upper edge;

the blades each having an inner blade end, the inner blade ends being mounted to one end of the handle in parallel side-by-side positions with portions of their respective lower edges protruding longitudinally outward from the one handle end, the inner end of each blade being substantially overlapped by the one handle end to prevent splaying of the protruding blade portions while scribing bony tissue underlying the harvested tendon;

the one end of the elongated handle being bifurcated into two integral rigid extensions, each extension individually supporting one of the blades;

the elongated handle including a contoured finger rest formed across its upper surface, the finger rest terminating in a transverse ridge extending across the full width of the handle at a location inwardly adjacent to its one end;

the inner ends of the blades being located under the finger rest.