Disposable surgical safety scalpel

• US 6,757,977 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2002
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jai Surgicals Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Jai Surgicals Ltd.
• Inventors: Dambal, Siddappa Hanamantappa, Kehr, Krishna Deo, Rehman, Lutfur
• Primary Examiner(s): PAYER, HWEI SIU CHOU
• Application Number:
  US10/055,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20030093905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 301/62, 303/35, 606/166, 606/167, 606/170
• US Class Current: 30/162
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3211 Surgical scalpels, knives; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32113 with extendable or retractable guard or blade
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0801 Prevention of accidental cutting or pricking

Abstract

The present invention relates to a disposable surgical safety scalpel with a retractable blade inside a hollow handle with a novel locking and unlocking arrangement that enables easy use and ensures safety in pre-use, use, and post-use conditions.

Claims

1. A disposable safety scalpel comprising a housing, a blade carrier with a scalpel blade fixedly provided at an end thereof, the blade carrier being slidably provided in the housing, the housing being provided with a proximal open end to enable sliding in and out of the blade carrier to expose a cutting edge of the scalpel blade and a distal closed end, a plurality of corresponding locking elements being provided on the blade carrier and on the housing to enable locking of the blade carrier in three positions of pre-use, actual use and post use disposal, said blade carrier also being provided with an actuator to enable displacement of the blade carrier along the housing, the housing being provided with an elongated opening through which the actuator extends, wherein the plurality of corresponding locking elements comprise at least one arm element provided on the blade carrier and extending in a longitudinal direction thereof, said arm element having a lug portion for selectively engaging a corresponding arm lug receptacle, said arm lug receptacle being remote from said elongated opening.

2. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuator comprises a knob configured to enable positive movement of the blade carrier from the pre-use position to the actual use position and finally to the post-use disposal position.

3. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 1 wherein said locking elements comprise, for defining the pre-use position, at least one positioning lug provided on the blade carrier and cooperating with a corresponding positioning lug receptacle provided on said housing to ensure releasable locking.

4. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one positioning lug receptacle and the arm lug receptacle are provided respectively on the same side of the housing.

5. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the locking elements comprise at least a pair of said arm elements extending in the longitudinal direction from the end of the blade carrier opposite the blade end and provided with said lug portions for cooperating with a corresponding pair of said arm lug receptacles provided on said housing, said lug receptacles being adapted to receive the lug portions on said arm elements and retain them therein securely until actual release by the user.

6. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the arm lug receptacles on the housing adapted to receive said lug portions of said arm elements are provided respectively on opposite sides of the elongated opening in said housing.

7. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 5, wherein the actuator is provided with an actuating means to enable release of the blade carrier from the actual use position to the post use disposal position by actual retraction force.

8. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the actuating means is provided on said blade carrier and comprises a knob.

9. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the knob and the arm elements of the blade carrier are integral enabling movement of the blade carrier and locking simultaneously.

10. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing has a bottom and two side walls with a groove running from one end to the other to enable sliding movement of the blade carrier.

11. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said corresponding locking elements further comprise at least one leg element resiliently provided on said blade carrier for engaging a corresponding receptacle provided on said housing, engagement of said resilient leg element with said corresponding leg receptacle defining said post use disposal position of said blade carrier.

12. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 11, wherein said arm lug receptacle and said leg receptacle are respectively provided on opposite sides of the housing.

13. A disposable safety scalpel comprising a housing, a blade carrier with a scalpel blade fixedly provided at an end thereof, the blade carrier being slidably provided in the housing, the housing being provided with a proximal open end to enable sliding in and out of the blade carrier to expose a cutting edge of the scalpel blade and a distal closed end, a plurality of corresponding locking elements being provided on the blade carrier and on the housing to enable locking of the blade carrier in three positions of pre-use, actual use and post use disposal,

wherein the locking elements comprise at least a pair of matched arms extending in the longitudinal direction from the end of the blade carrier opposite the blade end and provided with lug portions cooperating with a corresponding pair of lug slots provided on said housing to define the actual use position, said lug slots being adapted to receive the lug portions on said arms and retain them therein securely until actual release by user a user.

14. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 13, wherein said locking elements comprise, for defining the pre-use position, at least one positioning lug provided on the blade carrier and cooperating with a corresponding positioning lug receptacle provided on said housing to ensure releasable locking.

15. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one positioning lug receptacle and the lug slots are provided respectively on the same side of the housing.

16. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the blade carrier is provided with an actuator to enable release of the blade carrier from the actual use position and movement to the post use disposal position.

17. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the pair of slots on the housing adapted to receive the lug portions of said arms are laterally spaced from one another on a common side of the housing.

18. A disposable safety scalpel as claimed in claim 13, wherein said corresponding locking elements further comprise at least one leg element resiliently provided on said blade carrier for engaging a corresponding leg receptacle provided on said housing, engagement of said resilient leg element with said corresponding leg receptacle defining said post use disposal position of said blade carrier, wherein said lug slots and said leg receptacle are respectively provided on opposite sides of the housing.