GB2203087A - A scalpel - Google Patents

Abstract

The scalpel consists of a handle (35) having a scalpel blade (31) fastened to its front end, and a flat cap (10) closed at one side, which cap is pushed over the scalpel blade (31) and fastened to the handle (35). According to the invention, the cap (10) has its closed end portion provided with a flat parallel-sided part (17) to which is joined, through a wedge-shaped section (18), a wider parallel-sided part (19) clampingly plugged onto the front end (36) of the handle. Thus, the flat cap (10) having one closed end is improved in such a manner that safe hold of the cap (10) on the handle (35) is guaranteed before and after use and the cap (10) does not impair the sharpness of the blade <IMAGE>

Description

A SCALPEL The invention is directed to a scalpel, consisting of a handle having a scalpel blade fastened to its front end, and a flat cap closed at one side, which cap is pushed over the scalpel blade and fastened to the handle.

There are many versions of scalpels having a protecting cover for the scalpel blade. In practice, for example, a -cover shell is known which is substantially formed as a plate with a side edge connected to the front end of the handle by a snap-button-like snap connection. The snap-connection serves for re-attaching the protecting cover to the handle after use to protect the hospital staff against contamination and injuries when the instrument is disposed of. In practice, it has been revealed that the components of the snap connection easily break off when the protecting cover is removed in order to use the scalpel and that re-attaching the protecting cover for disposal is not possible, which exposes the person to a risk.

A further known protecting cover for the scalpel blade consists of an oval or flat extruded polyethylene hose having continuously parallel walls and being open at both ends. This protecting cover is comparatively yielding and can be pushed onto the handle unobstructedly, thus presenting the danger that the protecting cover is pushed too far onto the handle after use and at least the tip of the scalpel blade protrudes beyond the open end of the protecting cover. This nullifies the desired protecting effect before and after use, and the potential danger upon disposal is immense.

There is further known a protecting cover formed as a flat cap made of stiff plastics material and being closed at one side. This cap is pushed on until reaching a stopping bar in the central area of the handle and is maintained in the plugged-on position by cooperation of snapping organs. The wide walls of the cap uniformly diverge from the closed to the open end of the cap so that a large interior space is created for the cap and the plugged-on cap does not firmly sit on the front end of the handle of the scalpel blade, but is loose. This can result in that the snapping organs lose their hold and the cap falls off prematurely; moreover, the sharpness of the blade can be affected because the scalpel blade slips out of place in the cap and the blade edge touches the inner surface of the cap.

It is the object of the invention to improve a closed flat cap having one closed end in such a manner that safe hold of the cap on the handle is guaranteed before and after use and the cap does not impair the sharpness of the blade.

According to the invention, this object is solved in that the cap has its closed end portion provided with a flat parallel-sided part to which is joined, through a wedge-shaped section, a wider parallel-sided part clampingly plugged onto the front end of the handle.

In this manner, there is provided a cap with one closed end, which cap encloses the scalpel blade and the front end of the handle substantially snug-fit so that the cap, by means of frictional engagement especially within the area of the wedge-shaped section, not only remains attached to the handle but is also immovably jammed tight on the front end of the handle. This is advantageous in that protection of the blade before and after using the scalpel is enhanced and the sharpness of the blade remains unaffected. The cap with its stable shape can be mounted automatically; thus, production costs can be reduced and optimal sterility requirements can be fulfilled. The scalpel blade is pushed into the flat parallel-sided part of the cap.Thereby, it is already during insertion that the blade is positioned in such a manner that its cutting edge remains at a distance to the inner surface of the cap. Before the tip of the scalpel blade reaches the wall of the closed end of the cap, the relative movement between cap and scalpel is ended because the wedge-shaped part impinges on the front end of the handle and is jammed tight at this end. In this manner, it is safeguarded that the tip of the blade always remains enclosed by the cap when automatically mounting the cap as well as when overplugging the cap again for disposal. The attachment between the end of the handle and the wedge-shaped section of the cap prevents the scalpel blade from slipping out of place in the cap, and the sharpness of the blade is preserved.For using the scalpel, the cap is slid off from the handle with the thumb of the hand holding the scalpel. This poses no problem and yields the advantage that the other hand remains free for manipulating.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the wedge-shaped section of the cap extends symmetrically and is adapted with undersize to a complementary wedge-shaped part of the front end of the handle. The described advantages are optimized in this manner.

The wall of the cap has holes in the region of said flat part. The holes serve for sterilizing the interior space of the cap when the cap is automatically mounted.

Advantageously, the cap is rectangular in plan view and in cross-section. This favors a contact-free enclosure of the scalpel blade and good hold to the front end of the handle of the scalpel independent of the sectional profile of the scalpel.

The drawings schematically show an embodiment of the invention. In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the broad side of the front end of a scalpel as enclosed by the cap; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the narrow side of the ar rangement according to Figure 1, and Fig. 3 a front view onto the broad inserting end of the cap with the scalpel left out.

A stiff cap 10 of plastics material, especially polyethylene, generally consists of two small parallel side walls 11, 12 and an end wall 13 that make up a rectangular U-form and, together with two broad walls 14, 15, constitute a cap body which is rectangular in plan view and in cross-section. The end wall 13 extends parallel to a straight open end 16 into which the front end of a disposable scalpel 30 is inserted. Both broad walls 14 and 15 and both side walls 11 and 12 are formed in such a manner that they provide a parallel-sided flat part 17 in the front area, a wedge-shaped section 18 in the central area and a broad parallel-sided part 19 in the rear area.Both parts 17 and 19 continuously merge into the wedge-shaped section 18, following a smooth steady line, and the diameters - viewed towards the smaller cross-section of the cap - are fitted to the components of the scalpel 30 to be enclosed by cap 10.

These components are the scalpel blade 31 with a sharpened cutting blade 32 extending to a blade tip 33, and the front end 34 of a handle 35 that is cut off in the drawing for reasons of space. The scalpel blade is fastened to the front end 34 of handle 35 in any convenient manner, e.g. by means of pins of plastics material that penetrate into openings of blade 31. Blade 31 is centrally located in the front end 34 of the handle and can be flanked by a tongue-shaped plate member 36 on both sides. Both plate members 36 of the front end 34 of the handle are congruent, and their thickness continually increases towards the rear end of the handle transversely to the blade surface so that the plate members join to form a wedge 37 the widest portion of which corresponds to the general diameter of handle 35.

The cap 10 is adjusted to the longitudinal dimensions of scalpel 30 such that the flat part 17 receives blade 31, the wegde-shaped section 18 matches with wedge 37 of plate members 36, and the wider part 19 extends to a position beyond a recessed finger grip 38 at the upper edge of handle 35. The transverse dimensions of cap 10 are adapted in such a manner to the portions of scalpel 30 enclosed by it that blade 31 is tightly enclosed by the flat part 17 of cap 10, and that upon assembly of cap 10 and scalpel 30 the frictional engagement of wedge 37 at the front end 34 and the wedge-shaped section 18 stops the relative movement of both parts before tip 33 of blade 31 abuts against end wall 13 of cap 10. The clamping engagement of wedge surfaces 37 and wedgeshaped section 18 provides for firm attachment of cap 10 on end 34 of the handle before and after use of scalpel 30. In this position, blade 31 is tightly enclosed by the flat part 17 of cap 10 and secured against slipping out of place in cap 10 so as to maintain its sharpness. For removing cap 10 from scalpel 30, the end of cap 10 slightly protruding over recessed finger grip 38 of scalpel 30 is pressed by the thumb of the hand holding scalpel 30, and cap 10 slides off from scalpel 30.

In both broad walls 14 and 15 of cap 10, one opening 39, respectively, is formed near end wall 13. Both openings 39 are arranged coaxially, as can be seen in Fig.

2, and they are provided for sterilizing blade 31 with cap 10 plugged on.

The clamping effect of the wedge surfaces guarantees safe connection of scalpel 30 and cap 10 with the tip 33 of the blade reliably covered before and after usage so that the scalpel can be disposed of without any risk to the person.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS:

1. A scalpel, consisting of a handle having a scalpel blade fastened to its front end, and a flat cap closed at one side, which cap is pushed over the scalpel blade and fastened to the handle, wherein the cap is provided at its closed end with a flat parallelsided part to which is joined, through a wedge-shaped section, a wider parallel-sided part clampingly plugged onto the front end of the handle.

2. A scalpel according to claim 1, wherein the wedge-shaped section of the cap extends symmetrically and is adapted with undersize to a correspondingly wedge-shaped part of the front end of the handle.

3. A scalpel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wall of the cap is perforated in the region of said flat part.

4. A scalpel according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cap is rectangular in plan view and in cross-section.

5. A scalpel substantially as herein described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.