Method and a device for marking surfaces

• US 6,626,865 B1
• Filed: 04/23/2001
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: P Prisell AB
• Original Assignee: P Prisell AB
• Inventors: Prisell, Per
• Primary Examiner(s): Worrell, Danny
• Application Number:
  US09/830,190
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 606/131, 606/132, 606/167, 606/184, 604/115, 604/116, 604/117, 600/564, 600/567
• US Class Current: 604/116
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32053 Punch like cutting instruments, e.g. using a cylindrical or oval knife A61B17/326 takes precedence; trepans A61B17/1695; for use on the cornea A61F9/007
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32093 for skin incisions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers

Abstract

A method for indicating the periphery line of a patch of an optionally resilient surface layer of a substrate object which patch is intended to be removed in a step, which may cause a change of the appearance of the surface, which method comprises the application on the surface of an adhesive mask, comprising an outer, “negative: and/or optionally an inner, slat “positive” mask component, comprising one or more layers of a sheet material, which can be brought to adhere to the surface of the object, wherein the negative mask comprises a main opening with a borderline, which forms an inner borderline of the mask, and the positive mask comprises a slab with a borderline, which forms an outer borderline of the mask, said inner and/or outer borderlines having essentially the shape of the intended periphery line of the patch of the surface layer intended to be removed, said main opening of slab having circular or preferably elongated, non-circular shape, preferably with a ratio of lengthwise extension on transverse extension of at least 2 or at least 3 and optionally at most 10.

Claims

1. A method for indicating a periphery line of a patch of skin of elongated shape of a mammal and removing said patch of skin, which comprises applying onto the skin an adhesive mask of a sheet material, which is flexible to permit tight adherence to the skin, said mask comprising a main opening with a borderline with the shape of the patch of skin intended to be removed, said mask having an adhesive surface which when applied against the skin makes the mask adhere to the skin, and fitting into the main opening of the mask a cutting punch with a cutting edge with the shape of said periphery line and with a tight fit to said opening, so that the cutting punch is mechanically guided and directed by the mask, and applying a force onto the cutting punch for cutting through dermis, and removing the patch of skin from the mammal.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mammal is a human.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the mask is provided with an array of secondary, minor openings arranged evenly spaced around the main opening, and applying through said secondary openings marks onto the skin which indicate an area adjacent the periphery line where stitches can suitably be placed for closing an opening in the skin formed by removing the patch of skin.

4. A method according to claim 2, which comprises indicating and removing a patch of skin with pathologic defects.

5. A method according to claim 2, which comprises indicating and removing a patch of skin of oval shape with a ratio of lengthwise extension to transverse extension of at least 1.5.

6. A kit suited for carrying out the method according to claim 1 for indicating a periphery line of a patch of skin of elongated shape of a mammal and removing said patch of skin, which comprises

I) aN adhesive mask of a sheet material, which is flexible to permit tight adherence to the skin, comprising a main opening of elongated shape with a borderline with the shape of the patch of skin intended to be removed, said mask having an adhesive surface, which surface when applied against the skin makes the mask adhere to the skin, and

II) a cutting punch with a cutting edge having the shape of the borderline of the main opening of the mask and fitting with a tight fit into said main opening, so that the cutting punch can be mechanically guided and directed by the borderline of the main opening of the mask.

7. A kit according to claim 6 which in addition to the adhesive mask and the cutting punch also comprises a template device of a sheet material with an opening suited to be held close to the skin intended to be indicated for excision for simulating a periphery line marking thereon with the mask.

8. A kit according to claim 7 wherein the main opening in the mask and the cutting edge of the cutting punch are of oval shape with a ratio of lengthwise extension to transverse extension of at least 1.5.

9. A kit according to claim 6, wherein the cutting punch is provided with a cutting blade shaped as a cylinder surface at the part thereof which is intended to be mechanically guided by the mask.

10. A kit according to claim 6, wherein the cutting punch has a cutting edge which along a main part of its extension deviates at most 1 mm from a smooth plane.

11. A mask suited for carrying out the method according to claim 2 consisting of a piece of sheet material with an elongated opening with a border line and an adhesive surface which when applied against the skin of a human makes the mask adhere to the skin, said mask being flexible to permit tight adherence to the skin, said mask being provided with means acting as guiding and directing means for mechanically guiding a skin cutting punch with a cutting edge with the shape of said border line and with a tight fit to said main opening.

12. A mask according to claim 11, which mask is provided with an array of secondary, minor openings suited for inserting a marking pen for making a mark on the skin, arranged evenly spaced around the main opening at a distance of up to 5 mm from the main opening.