DURAL KNIFE

• US 20170224371A1
• Filed: 02/10/2016
• Published: 08/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walzman Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Walzman Innovations, LLC
• Inventors: Walzman, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 10,143,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3209 Incision instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3211 Surgical scalpels, knives; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/036 abutting on tissue or skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/08021 of the patient or his organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/03 Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure

Abstract

A dural knife is provided with a handle, protector, and cutting element, wherein the protector is connected to one end of the handle and the cutting element connects to both the handle and the protector. More particularly, the dural knife has a protector shape and blade height that is adapted to safely raising the dura away from the cortex and making an incision in the dura while sliding the protector beneath the dura.

Claims

1. A dural knife comprising:

a handle comprising a front, a back, a first end, and a second end;

a protector comprising a top, a bottom, a rounded tip, and a heel, the second end of the handle connected to the top of the protector at the heel end;

wherein

(a) a horizontal distance between the rounded tip and the heel defines a total length of the protector, and wherein the vertical distance between a most distal part of the top and a most distal part of the bottom defines the height of the protector;

(b) the height of the protector increases continuously from the rounded tip to the heel of the protector;

(c) the protector bottom remains flat over 90% or more of the total length of the protector;

(d) all sides of the protector are smooth and transition into one another via smooth curvature; and

(e) shape of the protector is effective to slide along an underside of the dura without abrading or rupturing the dura or blood vessels and nerves that course between the brain and the dura;

a blade connected to the handle and the protector, the blade comprising a cutting edge that merges with the front of the handle and with the top of the protector;

wherein

(i) a vertical distance between a point where the cutting edge of the blade merges with the front of the handle and the most distal part of the bottom of the protector that defines the combined height of the blade and protector;

(ii) a region on the top of the protector between the rounded tip and the a point where the cutting edge of the blade merges with the top of the protector defines a fore top, and a horizontal distance between the point where the cutting edge of the blade merges with the top of the protector and the rounded tip defines the length of the fore top;

wherein the fore top of the protector has a length of at least 25% of the total length of the protector; and

(iii) a vertical distance between the point at which the cutting edge of the blade merges with the front of the handle and the point at which the cutting edge of the blade merges with the protector defines the height of the of the blade;

wherein the height of the blade is at most 85% of the vertical distance between the point where the cutting edge merges with or intersects the front of the handle and the lowest point on the bottom of the protector; and

the dural knife is adapted to safely raise the dura away from nervous tissue of the brain or spinal cord, associated surface blood vessels, and to identify blood vessels and nerves that course between the brain and the dura during continuous incision of the dura.

5. The dural knife of claim 1, wherein the length of the fore top is at least 30% of the total length of the protector.

6. The dural knife of claim 1, wherein the protector further comprises a light source in the rounded tip, wherein the light source is adapted to project light through the dura so as to see blood vessels that vascularize the dura and identify blood vessels and nerves that course between the brain and the dura.

7. The dural knife of claim 6, wherein the handle further comprises a mechanism that controls the light source.

8. The dural knife of claim 1, wherein the protector further comprises a suction opening and channel, through which fluids can be drawn away from the protector.

9. The dural knife of claim 8, wherein the handle further comprises a mechanism that controls a force of suction drawing fluids away from the protector.

10. The dural knife of claim 1, wherein the cutting edge of the blade is straight and is positioned at an angle of 120 degrees or more relative to the fore top of the protector, where the cutting edge of the blade merges with the top of the protector.

13. The dural knife of claim 1, wherein the blade is replaced by a cauterizer.

14. The dural knife of claim 13, wherein the protector further comprises a light source in the rounded tip, wherein the light source is adapted to project light through the dura so as to see blood vessels that vascularize the dura and to identify blood vessels and nerves that course between the brain and the dura.

15. The dural knife of claim 13, wherein the protector further comprises a suction opening and channel, through which fluids can be drawn away from the protector.

16. The dural knife of claim 15, wherein the handle further comprises a mechanism that controls a force of suction drawing fluids away from the protector.

2. (canceled)

3. The dural knife of claim 2, wherein the height of the blade is approximately 50% of the vertical distance between the point where the cutting edge merges with or intersects the front of the handle and the lowest point on the bottom of the protector.

4. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

17. A dural knife comprising:

a handle comprising a front, a back, a first end, and a second end;

a protector comprising a top, a bottom, a rounded tip, and a heel, the second end of the handle connected to the top of the protector at the heel end;

wherein

(a) a horizontal distance between the rounded tip and the heel defines a total length of the protector, and wherein the vertical distance between a most distal part of the top and a most distal part of the bottom defines the height of the protector;

(b) the height of the protector increases continuously from the rounded tip to the heel of the protector;

(c) the protector further comprises a light source in the rounded tip, wherein the light source is adapted to project light through the dura so as to see blood vessels that vascularize the dura and to identify blood vessels and nerves that course between the brain and the dura.

(d) the protector bottom remains flat over 90% or more of the total length of the protector;

(e) all sides of the protector are smooth and transition into one another via smooth curvature; and

(r) shape of the protector is adapted to slide along an underside of the dura without abrading or rupturing the dura or blood vessels and nerves that course between the brain and the dura;

a blade connected to the handle and the protector, the blade comprising a cutting edge that merges with the front of the handle and with the top of the protector;

wherein

(i) a vertical distance between a point where the cutting edge of the blade merges with the front of the handle and the most distal part of the bottom of the protector defines the combined height of the blade and protector;

(ii) a vertical distance between the point at which the cutting edge of the blade merges with the front of the handle and the point at which the cutting edge of the blade merges with the protector defines the height of the of the blade; and

(iii) the height of the blade is at most 85% of the vertical distance between the point where the cutting edge merges with or intersects the front of the handle and the lowest point on the bottom of the protector;

a region on the top of the protector between the rounded tip and the a point where the cutting edge of the blade merges with the top of the protector defines a fore top, and a horizontal distance between the point where the cutting edge of the blade merges with the top of the protector and the rounded tip defines the length of the fore top;

wherein the fore top of the protector has a length of at least 25% of the total length of the protector;

wherein the dural knife is adapted to safely raise the dura away from nervous tissue of the brain or spinal cord and associated surface blood vessels and to identify blood vessels and nerves that course between the brain and the dura during continuous incision of the dura.

18. A dural knife comprising:

a handle comprising a front, a back, a first end, and a second end;

a protector comprising a top, a bottom, a rounded tip, and a heel, the second end of the handle connected to the top of the protector at the heel end;

wherein

(a) a horizontal distance between the rounded tip and the heel defines a total length of the protector, and wherein the vertical distance between a most distal part of the top and a most distal part of the bottom defines the height of the protector;

(b) the height of the protector increases continuously from the rounded tip to the heel of the protector;

(c) the protector bottom remains flat over 90% or more of the total length of the protector;

(d) all sides of the protector are smooth and transition into one another via smooth curvature;

(e) shape of the protector is adapted to slide along an underside of the dura without abrading or rupturing the dura or blood vessels and nerves that course between the brain and the dura; and

(f) the protector further comprises a suction opening and channel, through which fluids can be drawn away from the protector;

a blade connected to the handle and the protector, the blade comprising a cutting edge that merges with the front of the handle and with the top of the protector;

wherein

(I) a vertical distance between a point where the cutting edge of the blade merges with the front of the handle and the most distal part of the bottom of the protector defines the combined height of the blade and protector;

(ii) a vertical distance between the point at which the cutting edge of the blade merges with the front of the handle and the point at which the cutting edge of the blade merges with the protector defines the height of the of the blade; and

(iii) the height of the blade is at most 85% of the vertical distance between the point where the cutting edge merges with or intersects the front of the handle and the lowest point on the bottom of the protector;

a region on the top of the protector between the rounded tip and the a point where the cutting edge of the blade merges with the top of the protector defines a fore top, and a horizontal distance between the point where the cutting edge of the blade merges with the top of the protector and the rounded tip defines the length of the fore top;

wherein the fore top of the protector has a length of at least 25% of the total length of the protector;

wherein the dural knife is adapted to safely raise the dura away from nervous tissue of the brain or spinal cord and associated surface blood vessels and to identify blood vessels and nerves that course between the brain and the dura during continuous incision of the dura.

19. The dural knife according to claim 18, wherein the handle further comprises a mechanism that controls a force of suction drawing fluids away from the protector.

20. A dural knife comprising:

a handle comprising a front, a back, a first end, and a second end;

a protector comprising a top, a bottom, a rounded tip, and a heel, the second end of the handle connected to the top of the protector at the heel end;

wherein

(a) a horizontal distance between the rounded tip and the heel defines a total length of the protector, and wherein the vertical distance between a most distal part of the top and a most distal part of the bottom defines the height of the protector;

(b) the height of the protector increases continuously from the rounded tip to the heel of the protector;

(c) the protector bottom remains flat over 90% or more of the total length of the protector;

(d) all sides of the protector are smooth and transition into one another via smooth curvature; and

(e) shape of the protector is adapted to slide along an underside of the dura without abrading or rupturing the dura or blood vessels and nerves that course between the brain and the dura;

(f) the protector further comprises

(1) a suction opening and channel, through which fluids can be drawn away from the protector; and

(2) a light source in the rounded tip, wherein the light source is adapted to project light through the dura so as to see blood vessels that vascularize the dura and to identify to identify blood vessels and nerves that course between the brain and the dura;

a blade connected to the handle and the protector, the blade comprising a cutting edge that merges with the front of the handle and with the top of the protector;

wherein

(i) a vertical distance between a point where the cutting edge of the blade merges with the front of the handle and the most distal part of the bottom of the protector defines the combined height of the blade and protector;

(ii) a vertical distance between the point at which the cutting edge of the blade merges with the front of the handle and the point at which the cutting edge of the blade merges with the protector defines the height of the of the blade; and

(iii) the height of the blade is at most 85% of the vertical distance between the point where the cutting edge merges with or intersects the front of the handle and the lowest point on the bottom of the protector;

a region on the top of the protector between the rounded tip and the a point where the cutting edge of the blade merges with the top of the protector defines a fore top, and a horizontal distance between the point where the cutting edge of the blade merges with the top of the protector and the rounded tip defines the length of the fore top;

wherein the fore top of the protector has a length of at least 25% of the total length of the protector;

wherein the dural knife is adapted to safely raise the dura away from nervous tissue of the brain or spinal cord and associated surface blood vessels to identify blood vessels and nerves that course between the brain and the dura during continuous incision of the dura.

21. The dural knife according to claim 20, wherein the handle further comprises a mechanism that controls a force of suction drawing fluids away from the protector.