Surgical scalpel

• US 5,938,676 A
• Filed: 03/31/1998
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co, Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale d'Electricite (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Di Cesare, Paul, Carter, Michael J., Gharibian, Noel, Cohn, Simon, Swenson, Jon D., Newman, Craig D., Eckert, Ann C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, WILLIAM W
• Application Number:
  US09/052,588
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 606/166, 606/167, 30/2, 30/151, 30/158, 30/167, 30/335, 30/339
• US Class Current: 606/167
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3213 with detachable blades
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3215 Packages or dispensers for scalpel blades for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32113 with extendable or retractable guard or blade
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 29/02 Guards or sheaths for knives
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 29/025 Knife sheaths or scabbards

Abstract

A scalpel of the present invention includes an elongate handle defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end and a distal end. The scalpel of the invention further includes a cartridge that is removably mounted to the handle. The cartridge has blade holder with a proximal end and a distal end with a blade fixedly attached that is disposed so that the blade projects distally outwardly when the cartridge is mounted to the handle. The cartridge also includes a shield that is slidably mounted onto the blade holder for movement between a distal position where the shield substantially prevents inadvertent access to the blade and a proximal position where the shield substantially surrounds a portion of the handle and the blade is exposed for use. The cartridge is releasably mountable on the handle. The shield is substantially prevented from movement to the proximal position unless the cartridge is mounted on the handle and not dismountable from the handle unless the shield is in the distal position.

Claims

1. A surgical scalpel comprising:

an elongate handle defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end and a distal end;

a cartridge removably mounted to said handle, said cartridge including a blade holder with a proximal end and a distal end;

a blade fixedly attached to said blade holder disposed so that said blade projects distally outwardly when said cartridge is mounted to said handle;

said cartridge including a shield slidably mounted onto said blade holder, said shield being slidably movable between a distal position wherein said shield substantially prevents inadvertent access to said blade and a proximal position wherein said shield substantially surrounds a portion of said handle and said blade is exposed for use, said cartridge further including means for releasably mounting said cartridge to said handle and for substantially preventing said movement of said shield with respect to said blade holder unless said cartridge is mounted on said handle.

2. The surgical scalpel of claim 1 wherein said means for preventing said movement of said shield from said distal position to said proximal position includes a cantilever on said shield, said cantilever having a digital activation section projecting upwardly from a top surface of said shield.

3. The surgical scalpel of claim 2 wherein said means for preventing said movement of said shield with respect to said blade holder includes means for preventing movement of said shield from said distal position to said proximal position comprising said blade holder and said handle having at least one groove having a proximal terminus on said blade holder and a distal terminus on said handle, said groove extending distally from said blade holder onto at least a proximal portion of said handle, said at least one groove having an upward enlargement at said distal terminus and an upward enlargement at said proximal terminus.

4. The surgical scalpel of claim 3 wherein said means for preventing said movement of said shield between said distal position and said proximal position further includes at least one inwardly projecting boss disposed on shield cantilever having to engage said groove, said boss projecting into said distal terminus when said shield is in said distal position, said boss projecting into said proximal terminus when said shield is in said proximal position, said shield thereby being normally latched unless said shield cantilever is downwardly deflected thereby substantially preventing said slidable movement of said shield between said proximal position and said distal position.

5. The surgical scalpel of claim 4 wherein a practitioner'"'"'s downward digital pressure applied to said digital activation section sufficient to cause a downward deflection of said shield cantilever displaces said boss from either of said enlargements at said termina of said groove into said groove thereby allowing said movement of said shield between said proximal and said distal positions.

6. The surgical scalpel of claim 5 wherein said groove has a first depth between said proximal terminus and said distal terminus and a second depth between said distal end of said blade holder and distal terminus wherein said second depth is less than said first depth thereby forming a shoulder at an interface of said first depth and said second depth so that during an initial assembly of said cartridge, as said shield is positioned onto said blade holder from said distal end of said blade holder, said boss on said cantilever initially engages said groove having said second depth with an interference and, as said shield is moved distally on said blade holder, said boss is disposed in said groove having said first depth so that said shoulder substantially prevents distal movement of said beyond said distal terminus thereby retaining said shield on said cartridge.

7. The scalpel of claim 4 wherein said means for preventing said movement of said shield between said distal position and said proximal position further comprises a first groove on a first side of said blade holder and said handle and a second groove on a second side of said blade holder and said handle, and wherein said cantilever further comprises a first boss disposed to inter act with said first groove and a second boss disposed to interact with said second groove.

8. The scalpel of claim 4 further including means for substantially preventing said cartridge from being mounted on said handle when said cantilever is deflected downwardly, thereby substantially preventing inadvertent exposure of said blade during mounting said cartridge onto said handle.

9. The scalpel of claim 8 wherein said means for substantially preventing said cartridge from being mounted on said handle when said shield cantilever is being deflected downwardly includes said distal end of said handle being disposed to engage said at least one boss on said cantilever when said shield cantilever is downwardly deflected and said cartridge is being mounted to said handle thereby to substantially prevent said cartridge from being mounted on said handle.

10. The scalpel of claim 4 further including means for substantially preventing movement of said shield with respect to said blade holder during mounting said cartridge on said handle when said cartridge is partially properly mounted on said handle and said cantilever is downwardly deflected.

11. The scalpel of claim 10 wherein said means for substantially preventing movement of said shield when said cartridge is partially properly mounted and said cantilever is downwardly deflected includes a recess on said handle disposed distally to said groove to function as a false stop and engage said boss on said cantilever when said cantilever is deflected downwardly substantially to prevent proximal movement of said shield before said cartridge is fully mounted on said handle and thereby to prevent said cartridge from being fully mounted on said handle and prevent movement of said shield from said distal position to said proximal position until said downward deflection of said cantilever ceases.

12. The scalpel of claim 1 wherein said means for releasably mounting said cartridge on said handle includes a downward projection on said handle and a flexible beam projecting proximally from said blade holder, said beam having a pocket therein for releasably engaging said downward projection on said handle to retain releasably said cartridge on said handle.

13. The scalpel of claim 12 wherein said means for releasably mounting said cartridge on said handle further includes means for substantially preventing said cartridge from being dismounted from said handle unless said shield is in said distal position.

14. The scalpel of claim 13 wherein said means for substantially preventing said cartridge from being dismounted from said handle unless said shield is in said distal position comprises said shield being disposed to prevent substantially said proximally projecting beam on said blade holder from being downwardly deflected and thereby to disengage said downward projection on said handle from said pocket on said beam unless said shield is in said distal position, thereby substantially preventing said pocket in said beam from disengaging from said downward projection on said handle and to retain said cartridge on said handle.

15. The scalpel of claim 1 wherein said means to substantially prevent movement of said shield with respect to said blade holder unless said cartridge is mounted on said handle includes a deflectable tab on a side of said shield having an inwardly projecting lug thereon disposed to engage a seat in said blade holder when said shield is in said distal position and said cartridge is not mounted on said handle thereby substantially preventing movement of said shield with respect to said blade holder.

16. The scalpel of claim 15 wherein said means for substantially preventing movement of said shield with respect to said blade holder unless said cartridge is mounted on said handle further comprises a distal prong on said handle disposed to engage said tab on said shield when said cartridge is mounted on said handle thereby to disengage said lug from said seat on said blade holder and to permit movement of said shield with respect to said blade holder.

17. The scalpel of claim 16 wherein said distal prong on said handle disposed to engage said tab on said shield further comprises a distal end having a chamfered surface to facilitate said disengagement of said lug from said seat.

18. The scalpel of claim 1 wherein said means for mounting said cartridge on said handle comprises a pair of distal projections on said handle defining an elongate slot with an inside surface and a proximal protuberance on said cartridge sized to fit within said slot when said cartridge is positioned adjacent to said slot and parallel to said axis of said handle and moved orthagonally to said axis.

19. The scalpel of claim 18 wherein said inside surface of said slot and said protuberance further comprise a retainer sized and disposed to engage when said cartridge protuberance is moved orthagonally toward said axis into said slot and to resist disengagement from an opposite orthogonal direction, said retainer being disposed to allow said cartridge to be disengagable from said handle by application of a distal axial force when said shield is in said proximal position wherein said blade is substantially protected from inadvertent access.

20. The surgical scalpel of claim 1 wherein said blade holder further comprises an outward projection substantially orthogonal to said axis and said blade further comprises an aperture therethrough sized to engage said outward projection, said blade being fixedly attached to said blade holder by positioning said aperture in said blade over said projection so that said blade is substantially parallel to said axis.

21. The surgical scalpel of claim 20 wherein said blade is fixedly attached to said outward projection of said blade holder by a bonding selected from the group consisting of heat staking and adhesive bonding.

22. The surgical scalpel of claim 1 wherein said blade holder is formed from a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polysulfone, polyacetal and polyamide.

23. The surgical scalpel of claim 1 wherein said shield is formed from a thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, and polycarbonate, polyacetal, and polyamide.

24. The surgical scalpel of claim 1 wherein said shield is formed from a substantially transparent material.

25. The surgical scalpel of claim 1 wherein said handle is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of machined metal, formed powdered metal and thermoplastic materials.

26. A cartridge useful for releasably mounting on a handle to form a scalpel comprises:

a blade holder with a proximal end and a distal end;

a blade fixedly attached to said blade holder disposed so that said blade projects distally outwardly when said cartridge is mounted to a handle;

said cartridge including a shield slidably mounted onto said blade holder, said shield being slidably movable between a distal position wherein said shield substantially prevents inadvertent access to said blade and a proximal position wherein said shield substantially surrounds a portion of the handle and said blade is exposed for use, said cartridge further including means to substantially prevent said movement of said shield to said proximal position unless said cartridge is mounted on the handle, to prevent movement of said shield between said proximal position and said distal position and to substantially prevent a dismounting of said cartridge from the handle unless said shield is in said distal position.

27. The cartridge of claim 26 being placed in a sealed package formed from materials substantially resistant to the passage of microorganisms and exposed to conditions that render any microorganisms inside said package substantially nonviable.

28. A method for assembling a surgical scalpel having a shielded blade comprises:

providing an elongate handle defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end and a distal end;

providing a cartridge including a blade holder with a proximal end and a distal end, said cartridge including a blade fixedly attached to said blade holder disposed so that said blade projects distally outwardly when said cartridge is mounted to said handle, said cartridge further including a shield slidably mounted onto said blade holder, said shield being slidably movable between a distal position wherein said shield substantially prevents inadvertent access to said blade and a proximal position wherein said shield substantially surrounds a portion of said handle and said blade is exposed for use, said cartridge further including means to substantially prevent said movement of said shield to said proximal position unless said cartridge is mounted on said handle, to prevent movement of said shield between said proximal position and said distal position and to prevent substantially a dismounting of said cartridge from the handle unless said shield is in said distal position;

positioning said cartridge so that said proximal end of said cartridge is in substantial axial alignment with said distal end of said handle;

advancing said cartridge proximally onto said distal end of said handle until said cartridge is fully seated thereby forming said scalpel.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising a method for removing said cartridge from said handle grasping said shield;

and

applying a distal substantially axial force to said shield sufficient to overcome a resistance to deflect said beam on said blade holder and disengage said downward projection on said handle from said pocket on said beam, thereby removing said cartridge from said handle, said distal force serving to move said shield to said distal position in the event that the shield is not in the distal position and allowing said beam to deflect.