Surgical knife safety handle

• US 20110092996A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Rapp, Dana M. Cote, David S. Seebauer, Michael J. Morawski, Mohan Rajasekaran, Patrick T. Thrailkill
• Original Assignee: Brian Rapp, Dana M. Cote, David S. Seebauer, Michael J. Morawski, Mohan Rajasekaran, Patrick T. Thrailkill
• Inventors: Morawski, Michael J., Rajasekaran, Mohan, Seebauer, David S., Cote, Dana M., Rapp, Brian, Thrailkill, Patrick T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,258,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/167
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0133 Knives or scalpels specially adapted therefor

Abstract

A surgical knife safety device having a handle, a blade connected to the handle, and a guard carried by the handle for sliding movement between a retracted position in which the blade is exposed for use, and an extended position for covering the sharp cutting edge of the blade. In the retracted position, an enlarged guard radius is provided at the distal end of the handle to allow improved handle control and blade orientation. The enlarged guard radius is positioned to allow the user to firmly grip a large distal handle portion which is preferably molded as a single piece with the blade holder, preventing unwanted blade or handle movement due to guard mechanism tolerances.

Claims

1. A surgical knife safety handle for both ophthalmic and non-ophthalmic applications, comprising:

a handle body having a longitudinal axis;

a knife holder for carrying a knife blade at a distal end of said handle body;

a guard having an enlarged distal end which extends beyond an outer perimeter of said handle body to facilitate user contact with said enlarged distal end for handle orientation and control,

wherein said guard is configured to at least partially enclose a knife blade carried by said knife holder, at least one of said knife holder and said guard being longitudinally moveable with respect to said handle body; and

a positioning mechanism for allowing a user to longitudinally move said at least one of said knife holder and said guard to selectively expose or cover said knife blade.

2. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said positioning mechanism is disposed on said guard and configured to extend said guard beyond said handle body to cover said knife blade.

3. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guard comprises a substantially cylindrical body configured to slidably cover a portion of said handle body.

4. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 3, wherein said substantially cylindrical body of said guard comprises a diameter configured to contact a same diameter of said handle body to provide a continuous outer surface of said handle body over said contact point between said guard and said handle body.

5. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handle body comprises at least one of a slot or groove to direct said slidable movement of said guard.

6. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guard comprises a textured nonslip surface.

7. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distal end of said handle body comprises a textured nonslip surface.

8. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guard is constructed of transparent material.

9. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guard is constructed of an opaque material.

10. A surgical knife safety handle for both ophthalmic and non-ophthalmic applications, comprising:

a handle body having a longitudinal axis;

a knife holder for carrying a knife blade at a distal end of said handle body;

a guard having an enlarged distal end which extends beyond an outer perimeter of said handle body to facilitate user contact with said enlarged distal end for handle orientation and control,

wherein said guard is configured to at least partially enclose a knife blade carried by said knife holder, said guard being external to said handle body and longitudinally moveable with respect to said handle body; and

a positioning mechanism for allowing a user to longitudinally move said guard to selectively expose or cover said knife blade.

11. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 10, wherein said positioning mechanism is disposed on said guard and configured to extend said guard beyond said handle body to cover said knife blade.

12. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 10, wherein said guard comprises a substantially cylindrical body configured to slidably cover a portion of said handle body.

13. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 12, wherein said substantially cylindrical body of said guard comprises a diameter configured to contact a same diameter of said handle body to provide a continuous outer surface of said handle body over said contact point between said guard and said handle body.

14. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 10, wherein said handle body comprises at least one of a slot or groove to direct said slidable movement of said guard.

15. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 10, wherein said guard comprises a textured nonslip surface.

16. A surgical knife safety handle for both ophthalmic and non-ophthalmic applications, comprising:

a handle body;

a knife holder for carrying a knife blade at a distal end of said handle body; and

a guard for selectively covering or exposing said knife blade, said guard having an enlarged distal end which extends beyond an outer perimeter of said handle body to facilitate user contact with said enlarged distal end for handle orientation and control.

17. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 16, wherein said guard is constructed of a transparent material.

18. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 16, wherein said guard is constructed of an opaque material.

19. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one of said distal end of said handle body and said guard comprises a textured nonslip surface.

20. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one of said knife holder and said guard is configured to be longitudinally moveable with respect to said handle body.

21. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 20, further comprising:

a positioning mechanism for allowing a user to longitudinally move said at least one of said knife holder and said guard to selectively expose or cover said knife blade.

22. A surgical knife safety handle for both ophthalmic and non-ophthalmic applications, comprising:

a handle body having a longitudinal axis and at least one detent;

a knife holder for carrying a knife blade at a distal end of said handle body;

a guard having an enlarged distal end which extends beyond an outer perimeter of said handle body to facilitate user contact with said enlarged distal end for handle orientation and control,

wherein said guard is configured to at least partially enclose a knife blade carried by said knife holder, at least one of said knife holder and said guard being longitudinally moveable with respect to said handle body, wherein said detent releasably secures said at least one of said knife holder and said guard at a position with respect to said handle body; and

a positioning mechanism for allowing a user to longitudinally move said at least one of said knife holder and said guard to selectively expose or cover said knife blade.

23. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 22, wherein said handle body comprises:

a distal end, a proximal end and a housing extending along said longitudinal axis between said distal and proximal ends, said housing defining a chamber therein and having said at least one slot extending along said longitudinal axis accessing said chamber, said chamber being at least partially open at said distal end of said handle body; and

said positioning mechanism slidably mounted in said chamber and having a user control mechanism extending from within said chamber via said slot.

24. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 22, wherein said detent comprises at least one of a recess, a cavity, a notch or an opening in said handle body.

25. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 22, wherein said guard is constructed of transparent material.

26. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 22, wherein said guard is constructed of an opaque material.

27. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 22, wherein said distal end of said handle body comprises a textured nonslip surface.

28. A surgical knife safety handle as claimed in claim 22, wherein said guard comprises a textured nonslip surface.