WO1994012114A1

WO1994012114A1 - Instrument for handling scalpel blades

Info

Publication number: WO1994012114A1
Application number: PCT/US1992/010200
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kenneth L. Cox
Original assignee: Cox Kenneth L
Priority date: 1992-11-30
Filing date: 1992-11-30
Publication date: 1994-06-09
Also published as: AU3226293A

Abstract

Opposing jaws (17, 18) are connected by a pivot (16) and are of special design for handling a scalpel blade (2) by grasping the blade (2) along a longitudinal marginal portion opposite the cutting edge (12) of the blade (2). The major portion of the blade (2), including its tang (7) connectable to the head (4) of a standard handle (1), remains exposed and unobstructed. The jaws (17, 18) of the instrument are configured to bend the tang (7) of the blade (2) such that a connection slot (8, 9) of the blade (2) is positioned for easy fitting on and removal from the conventional handle head (4).

Description

INSTRUMENT FOR HANDLING SCALPEL BLADES

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the general field of medical instruments. More specifically, the present invention relates to an instrument permitting replaceable surgical blades to be attached to and removed from reusable handles with minimal manual handling of the blades.

Background of the Invention Medical scalpels commonly consist of a reusable handle and a detachable, disposable blade connected to the handle. The blades are necessarily extremely sharp. Even a careful attendant can be cut when removing a used blade from a handle, or when disposing of the used blade, or when connecting a new blade to the handle. Since a used blade may be contaminated, cuts from a used blade are of particular concern.

Special receptacles and containers for scalpel blades are disclosed in international (PCT) patent publication No. WO 91/03984, published April 4, 1991; U.S. Patent No. 4,903,390, issued February 27, 1990; U.S. Patent No. 4,746,016, issued May 24, 1988; and U.S. Patent No. 4,395,807, issued August 2, 1983. Such devices are designed primarily for removing used scalpel blades from reusable handles, although U.S. Patent No. 4,746,016 also is designed to act as a dispenser for different sizes and shapes of blades. Such devices fully enclose the scalpel blades and may themselves present a disposal problem.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides an instrument having opposing jaws of special design for handling a scalpel blade by grasping the blade along a longitudinal margin opposite the cutting edge of the blade. The major portion of the blade, including its tang connectable to the head of a standard handle, remains exposed and unobstructed. The jaws of the instrument are configured to bend the tang of the blade such that a connection slot of the blade is positioned for easy fitting on and removal from the conventional handle head.

Brief Description of the Drawings The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective of a conventional surgical scalpel consisting of a detachable, disposable blade and a reusable handle, with the blade and handle shown in exploded relationship;

FIGURE 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic top perspective of an instrument for handling scalpel blades in accordance with the present invention with the outline of a scalpel blade shown in broken lines;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top plan of the leading or working end portion of the instrument of FIGURE 2 with parts broken away and with a scalpel blade fitted in the instrument; FIGURE 4 is a top perspective corresponding to FIGURE 2 but with parts in different positions and with a blade and a fragment of a scalpel handle shown in solid lines; and

FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 are corresponding end elevations illustrating different operating positions of the instrument in accordance with the present invention. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

FIGURE 1 illustrates a conventional surgical scalpel consisting of a reusable handle 1 and a detachable blade 2. The handle has a long body portion 3 for grasping by the user and a narrower head 4 having an upward projecting boss 5 elongated lengthwise of the handle. The narrow head of the instrument has longitudinally extending grooves 6 in its opposite sides.

The scalpel blade 2 includes a tang 7 having a central keyhole slot elongated lengthwise of the blade. The slot includes a wider trailing end portion 8 of a width slightly greater than the width of the handle boss 5 but of a length shorter than the length of such boss. The leading end portion 9 of the slot is narrower than the trailing end portion 8 and is sized to receive the thin stem 10 formed between the grooves 6 at opposite sides of the boss 5. The conventional blade 2 commonly will have a short, narrow flange 11 extending lengthwise along the edge of the blade opposite its sharpened edge 12.

The combined length of the blade slot portions 8 and 9 is approximately equal to the length of the handle boss 5. The handle and blade can be joined by first tilting the scalpel blade to the position indicated in FIGURE 1 so as to expose the narrow slot portion 9 to the tip of the head of the handle. The marginal portions of the blade at opposite sides of the narrow slot portion 9 are received in the grooves 6 as the blade is slid rearward onto the handle. At the same time, the tail of the blade tang is gradually bent upward as the underside of the tail slides along the top of the handle boss, until the closed end of the wider slot portion 8 fits over the trailing end 13 of the boss. The tang of the blade snaps downward to an unbent position with the boss 5 substantially filling the wider slot portion 8.

The conventional blade can be disconnected from the conventional handle by the reverse procedure, which begins with bending the tail of the blade tang upward to free the closed end of the wider slot portion 8 from the trailing end 13 of the boss 5. From such position the blade can be slid forward relative to the handle until the narrower slot portion 9 is freed from the handle grooves 6.

The problem, of course, is that cuts frequently occur during manual connection and disconnection of the sharp scalpel blade from the reusable handle. The instrument in accordance with the present invention greatly lessens manual handling of the detachable scalpel blade during connection and disconnection from the scalpel handle. With reference to FIGURE 2, in the preferred embodiment the instrument in accordance with the present invention includes a pair of arms 15 joined by a center pivot pin 16. The leading end portions of arms 15 form vertically spaced jaws 17 and 18 extending in one direction from the pivot, and the trailing end portions of arms 15 form vertically-spaced handles 19 and 20 extending in the opposite direction from the pivot. Jaws 17 and 18 are movable toward and away from each other about the transverse axis defined by the pivot pin by manipulation of the handles. The handles can be biased apart by conventional leaf springs 21 projecting inward from the handles. Consequently, the jaws are spring-biased to an open position. In general, jaws 17 and 18 are configured for grasping a scalpel blade 2 along its longitudinal margin opposite the cutting edge by closing of the jaws, and for bending the tang of the blade to a condition for easy connection or disconnection of the blade from the head of the conventional scalpel handle. The upper jaw 17 is of generally snub-nosed configuration having a narrow planar undersurface 19. The lower jaw 18 has a hammerhead end which extends transversely to the length of the narrower, longitudinally extending neck 23 of the jaw leading to the pivot 16. Such hammerhead end includes a first portion 24, part of which is aligned with the upper jaw. Such first portion 24 has a flat upper surface closely adjacent and parallel to the undersurface 19 of the upper jaw when the two jaws are closed. A second portion 25 of the lower jaw hammerhead end is angled upward relative to the first jaw portion 24, out of registration with the upper jaw 17, so that the upper surface of the hammerhead end of the lower jaw is concave.

Short stop projections 26 extend upward at opposite ends of the hammerhead jaw and are spaced rearward a short distance from the long leading edge 27 of such jaw. The leading edge 27 includes an upward-projecting flange 28 spaced forward from the leading faces of the stop projections 24 so as to form shallow and narrow grooves 29 at opposite ends of the jaw.

With reference to FIGURE 3, for positioning a blade 2 for connection to a scalpel handle, the blade is fitted in the lower jaw 18 with its longitudinal edge opposite the cutting edge 12 butted against the leading faces of the stop projections 26. The blade flange 11 fits closely in the end grooves 29 between the leading faces of the stop projections 26 and the inner upright face of the short flange 28. The central portion of the planar blade is spaced above the lower jaw in the area of the junction 30 between the opposite end portions 24 and 25. Preferably the blade is positioned with the throat 31 between the wider slot portion 8 and the narrow slot portion 9 approximately registered with the junction 30.

The blade can be conveniently grasped by bringing the two jaws together by manipulation of the handles 20 and 21. As illustrated in FIGURE 4 and FIGURE 5, the tang 7 of the blade is bent upward to approximately the small acute angle of inclination of the lower jaw portion 25 as the central portion of the blade is forced down between the undersurface of the upper jaw and the upper surface of lower jaw. Preferably, the corner 32 of the upper jaw adjacent to the junction 30 between the lower jaw portions is rounded or beveled to prevent application of localized force which could crack the blade. With the blade grasped as described above, the major portion of the width of the blade, including the entire extent of the tang slot 8, 9, projects beyond the leading edges of both jaws. In the grasped and bent position of the tang, the narrow end portion 9 of the connection slot is exposed to the leading end of the head 4 of the handle 1, as seen in FIGURE 4 and FIGURE 5. Thus, with one hand grasping the instrument handles 19 and 20 and the other hand holding the body 3 of the scalpel handle 1, the user can easily slide the blade onto the head of the handle with the grooved portion of the handle head fitted in the narrow portion of the blade slot. With reference to FIGURE 6, when the instrument handles are released, the jaws 17 and 18 return to their open positions and the blade returns to its planar condition with its slot interconnected with the head of the scalpel handle. Still with reference to FIGURE 6, for removing a used blade from a handle, the composite scalpel is positioned with the blade 2 butted against the stop projections 26, in which case the blade flange 11 is received in the slots between the leading faces of the stop projections 26 and the short flange 28. The jaws of the instrument are closed to the position illustrated in FIGURE 7, which has the effect of grasping the blade along its longitudinal edge opposite the shaφened edge and bending the tang 7 of the blade upward. The blade substantially conforms to the angled shape of the lower jaw. The closed end of the blade connection slot is freed from the trailing end of the boss 5 of the handle head such that the handle 1 can be slid rearward off the blade. The blade can be dropped into an appropriate disposal container without any manual handling of the blade having been required in order to remove it from the handle.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An instrument for handling an elongated scalpel blade (2) having opposite longitudinal edges (11, 12) and a central connection slot (8, 9) extending lengthwise of the blade (2) characterized by the combination of a first jaw (18) and a second jaw (17), and means (16) connecting said jaws (17, 18) for movement relatively toward and away from each other, said first jaw (18) having means (26) for positioning the blade (2) with one longitudinal marginal portion thereof overlying said first jaw (18) but with the major portion of the width of the blade (2) including the connection slot (8, 9) out of registration with said first jaw (18), the second jaw (17) being movable into a position engaged against such one marginal portion of the blade (2) for grasping the blade (2) between the jaws (17, 18) while leaving the connection slot (8, 9) exposed and unobstructed.

2. The instrument defined in Claim 1, further characterized by the first jaw (18) including a concave surface (24, 25) for underlying the one longitudinal marginal portion of the blade (2), the second jaw (17) being constructed and arranged relatively for engaging against such one marginal portion of the blade (2) so as to bend the blade (2) toward conformity to the shape of said concave surface (24, 25) of the first jaw (18) by movement of the two jaws (17, 18) toward each other.

3. The instrument defined in Claim 2, further characterized by the blade (2) being positioned relative to the concave surface (24, 25) such that the blade (2) is bent in the area of the connection slot (8, 9) when the jaws (17, 18) are moved relatively together.

4. The instrument defined in Claim 1, further characterized by the jaws (17, 18) being movable relatively toward and away from each other about an axis, the first jaw (18) being elongated generally lengthwise of said axis and including a leading edge (27), the positioning means (26, 28, 29) including at least one stop projection (26) having a leading face for engaging against a longitudinal edge of the blade (2) and spaced from said leading edge (27) of the first jaw (18).

5. The instrument defined in Claim 4, further characterized by the first jaw (18) including a flange (28) spaced toward the leading edge (27) of the first jaw (18) from the leading face of the stop projection (26) and forming a groove (29) therebetween.

6. The instrument defined in Claim 4, further characterized by the stop projection (26) being positioned out of registration with the second jaw (17).

7. The instrument defined in Claim 1, further characterized by the jaws (17, 18) being movable relatively toward and away from each other about an axis, the first jaw (18) including an end portion (24, 25) elongated lengthwise of the axis and having opposite ends and a leading edge (27), two stop projections (26) positioned toward said opposite ends of the first jaw (18), each of the stop projections (26) having a leading face for engaging against a longitudinal edge of the blade (2) and spaced from said leading edge (27) of the first jaw (18).

8. The instrument defined in Claim 7, further characterized by the stop projections (26) being positioned at opposite sides of the second jaw (17) such that the second jaw (17) is movable toward and away from the first jaw (18) between the stop projections (26).

9. The instrument defined in Claim 1, further characterized by the second jaw (17) including an undersurface (19), the first jaw (18) including a first portion (24) registered with and extending generally parallel to said undersurface (19) of the second jaw (17) and a second portion (25) angled relative to said first portion (24) such that said first and second portions (24, 25) of the first jaw (18) define a concave surface facing the undersurface (19) of the second jaw (17).

10. The instrument defined in Claim 9, further characterized by the concave surface (24, 25) of the first jaw (18) having a junction (30) between the first and second portions (24, 25), the second jaw (17) extending over the first portion (24) of the first jaw (18), having a beveled corner (32) adjacent to said junction 30) and being out of registration with the second portion (25) of the first jaw (18).

11. An instrument for handling an elongated scalpel blade (2) having opposite longitudinal edges (11, 12) and a keyhole connection slot (8, 9) which slot (8, 9) extends lengthwise of the blade (2) and includes a wider portion (8) adjacent to the tail of the blade (2) and a narrow portion (9) adjacent to the tip of the blade (2), characterized by the combination of a first jaw (18) and a second jaw (17), means (16) connecting said jaws (17, 18) for movement relatively toward and away from each other, said first jaw (18) including an end portion (24, 25) elongated transversely of the direction of movement of the jaws (17, 18) toward and away from each other and having a first substantially planar portion (24) disposed toward one transverse side of said first jaw (18) and a second substantially planar portion (25) disposed toward the other transverse side of said first jaw (18), said second portion (25) being disposed at an obtuse included angle relative to said first portion (24), means (26) for positioning the blade (2) with one longitudinal marginal portion overlying said first jaw (18) but with the major portion of the width of the blade (2) including the keyhole connection slot (8, 9) out of registration with said first jaw (18), said second jaw (17) having a portion registered with the first portion (24) of said first jaw (18) for engaging against said one marginal portion of the blade (2) to grasp the blade (2) between said jaws (17, 18) and bend the blade (2) to approximately the angle between said first and second portions (24, 25) of said first jaw (18) while leaving the connection slot (8, 9) exposed and unobstructed.

12. The method of handling a scalpel blade (2) having opposite longitudinal edges (11, 12) and a central connection slot (8, 9) extending lengthwise of the blade (2) which method is characterized by positioning the blade (2) with one longitudinal marginal position thereof overlying a concave surface (24, 25) of a first jaw (18) but with the major portion of the width of the blade (2) including the connection slot (8, 9) out of registration with the first jaw (18), and moving a second jaw (17) into engagement against such one marginal portion of the blade (2) to grasp the blade (2) between the jaws (17, 18) and bend the blade (2) toward conformity to the shape of the concave surface (24, 25) of the first jaw (18) while leaving the connection slot (8, 9) exposed and unobstructed.