GB2465329A

GB2465329A - Podiatrists' nail nippers with cushioned grip portions

Info

Publication number: GB2465329A
Application number: GB0813655A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Timothy Bailey
Original assignee: BAILEY INSTR Ltd
Current assignee: BAILEY INSTR Ltd
Priority date: 2008-07-25
Filing date: 2008-07-25
Publication date: 2010-05-19
Also published as: GB0813655D0

Abstract

Podiatrists' nail nippers, clippers, cutters or the like 11 comprise pivoted metal blade 12 and handle members 13, the handle members having shock absorbing cushioning provided by elements 14 formed from a polymer that is suitable for heat sterilization in an autoclave. The polymer is preferably ethylene vinyl acetate. The podiatrists' nippers, clippers, cutters or the like may be supplied in a sterilised pack with other podiatry supplies.

Description

Podiatry Equipment This invention relates to nail flippers for use in podiatry A problem with podiatrists flail flippers is that they give rise to repetitive strain injury (RSI) when used perhaps hundreds of times a day by podiatrists.

This is especially true of multiple use flippers that are not especially sharp, the impact of the blades one against the other when the nail is penetrated being transmitted through the handles to the podiatrist's hand.

It is possible to provide a sterile pack of podiatry implements -for example, nail flippers, scissors, file, scalpel and emery board -as a single use, disposable item, which saves the cost of cleaning, decontaminating and sterilising, which can be at least as much as the cost of the disposable pack.

Multiple use implements, of course, need to be sterilised after each patient. to avoid cross-infection, but even a disposable implement must be presented already sterilised.

While a disposable implement may be factory sterilised in any one of a variety of ways, a user may prefer to regard it as a multiple use implement, especially if inexpensive sterilisation is to hand, which will almost always involve an autoclave.

The invention comprises podiatrists' nail flippers comprising pivoted metal blade and handle members, of which the handle members have shock absorbing cushion means made of an autoclavable polymer.

The polymer may comprise ethylene-vinyl acetate.

The cushion means may be affixed to the handle members in a manner that will survive autoclaving, and may be adhesively secured and/or keyed to the handle members.

The cushion means at least on the outside faces of the handle members may be at least 3mm thick and preferably 4 to 5mm thick.

The cushion means may each have a hand contact area of at least 4 square centimetres.

The flippers may comprise an internal spring.

The blades may be razor sharp, and may have a flat cut. Razor sharpness may be a feature of disposable, single use, or at least limited use nail flippers, and further reduces the incidence of RSI as less force is required to cut through a nail than with multiple use nippers, which are manufactured less than razor sharp in order that they maintain a constant sharpness throughout their life. Razor sharp flippers dull quickly, but this is, of course, of no consequence in a disposable implement.

The nail flippers may be enclosed in a sterile pack, and may be sterilised by gamma radiation.

The pack may contain other podiatry equipment such as a file, scissors, a scalpel and an emery board.

Podiatrists' nail flippers and packs according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of nail flippers; and Figure 2 is a cross section of a handle of the flippers of Figure 1.

The drawings illustrate podiatrists' nail flippers 11 comprising pivoted metal blade (12) and handle (13) members, of which the handle members 13 have shock absorbing cushion means 14 made of an autoclavable polymer.

The autoclavable polymer is ethylene-vinyl acetate.

The cushion means 14 are affixed to the handle members 13 in a manner that will survive autoclaving, and are adhesively secured and keyed (key 15 engaged in groove 16) to the handle members 13, as better seen in Figure 2. The cushion means 14 comprise elongate pads extending substantially along the handle members 13 in the region where the nipper is gripped for use. The material is not noticeably deformable under ordinary pressures, not, for example, as a foam would be deformable, rather it acts to reduce the transmission of impact forces to the user's hand. The cushion means at least on the outside faces of the handle members is 4 to 5mm thick, and each cushion means 14 has a hand contact area of at least 4 square centimetres. To maximise the area, and so reduce the pressure per unit area on the user's hand, the handle members are made wider than usual.

The flippers comprise an internal spring, not shown, around the pivot 17. This adapts the implement better to cleaning and sterilising, as there is essentially no trap for foreign matter.

The blade 12 are razor sharp, and have a flat cut, which is to say that they come together along their entire edged when closed, rather than just meeting at their ends, Razor sharpness is a feature particularly appropriate to disposable, single use, or at least limited use nail flippers, and further reduces the incidence of RSI as less force is required to cut through a nail than with multiple use flippers, which are manufactured less than razor sharp in order that they maintain a constant sharpness throughout their life. Razor sharp flippers dull quickly, but this is, of course, of no consequence in a disposable implement.

The user may choose to regard the nippers as a multiple use implement, to be sterilised between patients by the usually available method of autoclaving. notwithstanding that they are sufficiently inexpensive to be disposable, without compromising the cushion means 14.

Claims

Claims: 1 Podiatrists' nail flippers comprising pivoted metal blade and handle members, of which the handle members have shock absorbing cushion means made of an autoclavable polymer.
2 Nail flippers according to claim 1, in which the polymer comprises ethylene-vinyl acetate.
3 Nail flippers according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the cushion means are affixed to the handle members in a manner that will survive autoclaving.
4 Nail nippers according to claim 3, in which the cushion means are adhesively secured.
Nail flippers according to claim 3 or claim 4, in which the cushion means are keyed to the handle members.
6 Nail flippers according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the cushion means at least on the outside faces of the handle members are at least 3mm thick.
7 Nail nippers according to claim 6 or claim 7, in which the cushion means are 4 to 5mm thick.
8 Nail flippers according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the cushion means each have a hand contact area of at least 4 square centimetres 9 Nail flippers according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising an internal spring.10 Nail flippers according to any one of claims 1 to 9, of which the blades are razor shaip.11 Nail flippers according to any one of claims 1 to 10, of which the blades have a flat cut.12 Nail flippers according to any one of claims 1 to 11, in a sterile pack.13 Nail flippers in a pack according to claim 12, sterilised by gamma radiation.14 Nail nippers in a pack according to claim 12 or claim 13, together with other podiatry equipment.Nail flippers in a pack according to claim 14, of which the other equipment consists of at least one of a file, scissors, a scalpel and an emery board.