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Spinal anulus cutter

  • US 5,649,945 A
  • Filed: 10/17/1994
  • Issued: 07/22/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A surgical tool for cutting a flap in an encapsulating ligament, such as an anulus of a human intervertebral disc, to provide access to an interior space or material surrounded by the ligament, the surgical tool characterized by:

  • a knife blade having a plurality of walls connected together to define a closed side and an open side, and having a cutting edge at a forward end of the walls, wherein a portion of the cutting edge is linear, which is configured to cut at least one multisided flap, a portion of which is linear, in a ligament when a axial force is transmitted to the knife blade in a direction toward the cutting edge; and

    a stop member positioned against the knife blade, perpendicular to the cutting edge for limiting cutting depth of the knife blade.

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