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Surgical instrument

  • US 5,443,475 A
  • Filed: 08/03/1992
  • Issued: 08/22/1995
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A surgical instrument for cutting body tissue, comprising:

  • an elongate support shaft;

    a tip assembly attached to a distal end of the support shaft, said tip assembly comprising a stationary portion and a movable portion, a distal end of said movable portion being pivotally connected to a distal end of the stationary portion so as to form a cutting jaw; and

    means extending coaxially with the support shaft for applying closing and opening forces to the movable portion of the cutting jaw;

    wherein said stationary portion comprises a first cutting edge extending substantially parallel to and laterally adjacent a central longitudinal axis of the support shaft, and a second cutting edge extending substantially orthogonally from the first cutting edge and outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the support shaft; and

    wherein said movable portion comprises first and second cutting edges which cooperate, respectively, with the first and second cutting edges of the stationary portion to define first and second substantially orthogonally disposed cutting planes; and

    wherein said stationary portion further comprises a third cutting edge extending substantially orthogonally from the second cutting edge and substantially parallel to the first cutting edge such that said first, second and third cutting edges of the stationary portion define three sides of a generally rectangular opening in the stationary portion, and wherein said movable portion further comprises a third cutting edge which cooperates with the third cutting edge of the stationary portion to form a third cutting plane substantially orthogonally disposed to said second cutting plane.

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