Surgery – Instruments – Cutting – puncturing or piercing
Patent
1998-10-20
2000-09-05
McDermott, Corrine
Surgery
Instruments
Cutting, puncturing or piercing
606185, 30156, 30155, A61B 1732
Patent
active
061136174
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a medical scalpel.
Cutting instruments, such as medical scalpels used in current surgical procedures normally comprise a metallic handle with a specifically designed front end to which a blade is attached. The blade is normally attached by sliding its female slot onto a male track located on the front end of the handle. The attachment and the removal of the blade is difficult and often results in injury or in the blade slipping off.
Recent advances in this field include the manufacture of disposable handles which allow the user to dispose of the blade and handle without disengaging the blade from the handle. This decreases the chances of injury to the user but the blade remains unprotected and poses a threat to those handling the scalpel after use.
While U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,297--Voorhees is directed to a tracheotomy set, it does describe a scalpel blade mounted on a blade carrier that pivots to fold the blade away. The tracheotomy set can therefore be folded away so that it can be carried around in a pocket for use in emergencies. The blade pivots on a pivot axis that extends transversely to the principal axis of the scalpel blade plane to provide a folding action comparable to that of a penknife with the result that the scalpel blade pivots in the blade plane with a cutting motion. This makes the Voorhees device unsuitable for use as a surgical instrument for regular use.
Other developments in this field include blade removing devices which allow a more convenient and safe way of removing the blade from the handle before disposing the blade. These devices are separate from the handle and the user does not always have it on hand when needed. These devices also inflate the costs of the scalpels.
Another development in this field includes the use of safety blade sheaths which are fitted to the scalpel handle. The sheaths are flipped or slid in the forward direction to cover the blade after use. Again, these devices are not moulded as an integral part of the scalpel and therefore inflate the costs of the scalpel. They also interfere with the grip of the scalpel.
It is the object of the present invention to address these problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, a scalpel comprises a grip and a blade carrier for a substantially planar scalpel blade, the blade carrier being hingedly connected to the grip by means of a hinge formation that extends transversely to the principal axis of the scalpel, the hinge formation being adapted to permit hinged rotation of the blade carrier between an operative position in which a scalpel blade that may be secured to the blade carrier is exposed for use and an inoperative position in which the scalpel blade is retained in a recess formed in the grip, characterised in that the hinge axis of the hinge formation is co-extensive with the plane of the scalpel blade.
The scalpel may be integrally moulded in injection moulded plastics in which event the hinge formation may be constituted by an integrally moulded line of weakness formed between the blade carrier and the grip.
In one form of the invention, the scalpel includes means to retain the blade carrier in the operative position of the present scalpel blade, the retaining means being constituted by one or more frangible webs integrally moulded to extend between parts of the blade carrier and the grip that are adjacent to one another in the operative position and that tend to move apart when, in use, the blade carrier is hinged to the inoperative position thereof.
The engagement formations on the grip may be constituted by the broken web portions.
In this form of the present invention, the blade carrier includes proximal and distal ends on either side of the hinge formation, the distal end of the blade carrier being adapted to receive the blade and the proximal end thereof being constituted by a blade carrier body that is separate from and co- extensive with the grip in the operative position of the blade and retained in the grip by the
REFERENCES:
patent: 2820291 (1958-01-01), Philippar
patent: 3306297 (1967-02-01), Voorhees et al.
patent: 4083110 (1978-04-01), Goldin et al.
patent: 4719915 (1988-01-01), Porat et al.
patent: 4825545 (1989-05-01), Chase et al.
Harwill Industries (PTY) Ltd.
Maynard Jennifer
McDermott Corrine
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