Patent Application
20220296268
The present invention relates generally to devices and methods for the loading and removal of a surgical blade from a scalpel handle.
Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Traditional scalpels that are used in a variety medical procedures include a scalpel handle with a removable surgical blade. Such an arrangement allows the surgical blade to be discarded after use, while the scalpel handle can be reused for multiple procedures. However, the act of loading and removing the surgical blade from the scalpel handle can result in injury. Traditionally, the surgical blade is loaded or removed from the scalpel handle using forceps. Such an arrangement does not always prevent injury since the sharp edge of the surgical blade is exposed during the loading and removal process. Therefore, an improved device for the loading and removal of a surgical blade from a surgical handle is desirable.
In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a device comprising (a) a base including a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a first side, and a second side opposite the first side, (b) a first sidewall extending vertically from the first side of the base, (c) a second sidewall extending vertically from the second side of the base, (d) a third sidewall extending vertically from the first end of the base, (e) a first protrusion extending vertically from the base, wherein the first protrusion is positioned adjacent the second end of the base, (f) a second protrusion extending vertically from the base, wherein the second protrusion is positioned adjacent the second end of the base such that there is a gap between the first protrusion and the second protrusion at the second end of the base, and (g) a moveable member coupled to the third sidewall and extending in a direction towards the second end of the base, wherein the moveable member is movable from a first position to a second position, and wherein a bottom surface of the moveable member is closer to the base in the second position than in the first position.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method comprising (a) positioning a surgical blade between the first sidewall and the second sidewall of the device of the first aspect such that a sharp end of the surgical blade is positioned at the first end of the base between the base and the moveable member, (b) transitioning the moveable member from the first position to the second position, wherein the surgical blade is pinned between the base and the bottom surface of the moveable member when the moveable member is in the second position, (c) positioning a scalpel handle between the first protrusion and the second protrusion and through a slot in the surgical blade in a direction towards the first end of the base until the scalpel handle is coupled to the surgical blade by a track system in the scalpel handle, (d) transitioning the moveable member from the second position to the first position, and (e) removing the coupled surgical blade and the scalpel handle from the device.
In yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method comprising (a) positioning a surgical blade that is coupled to a scalpel handle between the first sidewall and the second sidewall of the device of the first aspect such that a sharp end of the surgical blade is positioned at the first end of the base between the base and the moveable member, (b) transitioning the moveable member from the first position to the second position, wherein the surgical blade is pinned between the base and the bottom surface of the moveable member when the moveable member is in the second position, and (c) moving the scalpel handle in a direction away from the first end of the base until the scalpel handle separates from the surgical blade.
These as well as other aspects, advantages, and alternatives, will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the following detailed description, with reference where appropriate to the accompanying drawings.
Example methods and systems are described herein. It should be understood that the words “example,” “exemplary,” and “illustrative” are used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any example or feature described herein as being an “example,” being “exemplary,” or being “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other examples or features. The examples described herein are not meant to be limiting. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated herein.
Furthermore, the particular arrangements shown in the Figures should not be viewed as limiting. It should be understood that other examples may include more or less of each element shown in a given Figure. Further, some of the illustrated elements may be combined or omitted. Yet further, an example may include elements that are not illustrated in the Figures.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed concepts, which may be practiced without some or all of these particulars. In other instances, details of known devices and/or processes have been omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure. While some concepts will be described in conjunction with specific examples, it will be understood that these examples are not intended to be limiting.
As used herein, “coupled” means associated directly as well as indirectly. For example, a member A may be directly associated with a member B, or may be indirectly associated therewith, e.g., via another member C. It will be understood that not all relationships among the various disclosed elements are necessarily represented.
Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “first,” “second,” etc. are used herein merely as labels, and are not intended to impose ordinal, positional, or hierarchical requirements on the items to which these terms refer. Moreover, reference to, e.g., a “second” item does not require or preclude the existence of, e.g., a “first” or lower-numbered item, and/or, e.g., a “third” or higher-numbered item.
Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “one example” means that one or more feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the example is included in at least one implementation. The phrases “one embodiment” or “one example” in various places in the specification may or may not be referring to the same example.
As used herein, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured to” perform a specified function is indeed capable of performing the specified function without any alteration, rather than merely having potential to perform the specified function after further modification. In other words, the system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured to” perform a specified function is specifically selected, created, implemented, utilized, programmed, and/or designed for the purpose of performing the specified function. As used herein, “configured to” denotes existing characteristics of a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware which enable the system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware to perform the specified function without further modification. For purposes of this disclosure, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware described as being “configured to” perform a particular function may additionally or alternatively be described as being “adapted to” and/or as being “operative to” perform that function.
The limitations of the following claims are not written in means-plus-function format and are not intended to be interpreted based on 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), unless and until such claim limitations expressly use the phrase “means for” followed by a statement of function void of further structure.
By the term “about,” “approximately,” or “substantially” with reference to amounts or measurement values described herein, it is meant that the recited characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations or variations, including for example, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those of skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide. For example, in one embodiment, the term “about” can refer to ±5% of a given value.
Illustrative, non-exhaustive examples, which may or may not be claimed, of the subject matter according the present disclosure are provided below.
With reference to the Figures,
The device 100 further includes a first protrusion 118 extending vertically from the base 102. As shown in top view of the device 100 in
As shown in
In one example, a height of the first protrusion 118 and a height of the second protrusion 120 are equal, and a height of the first end 104 of the base 102 is less than the height of the first protrusion 118 and the height of the second protrusion 120. In such an arrangement, a surgical blade positioned in the device 100 has a resting position in which the sharp end of the surgical blade sits lower than the non-sharp side of the surgical blade. This serves to facilitate in easily matching a track system on the scalpel handle to the interior edges of the surgical blade where the scalpel handle is loaded.
As illustrated in
As shown in
As shown in
In one example, the gap 122 between the first protrusion 118 and the second protrusion 120 is about 4 mm. In another example, a length of the base 102 ranges from about 37 mm to about 40 mm. In another example, a height of the first sidewall 112 and a height of the second sidewall 114 is about 5 mm. In another example, a distance between the first sidewall 112 and the second sidewall 114 is about 8 mm. These dimension are provided for illustrated purposes, and other dimensions are possible as well to operate the device 100 with a variety of surgical blades and corresponding scalpel handles.
In one example, the entire device 100 comprises a single material. For example, the device may be made from a machinable plastic material such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or polyoxymethylene (POM). In another example, the first portion 130 of the base 102 and/or the bottom surface 126 of the moveable member 124 may comprise a material that is different from the rest of the device 100. In one particular example, the first portion 130 of the base 102 and/or the bottom surface 126 of the moveable member 124 may comprise a material that has a greater coefficient of friction than the coefficient of friction of the rest of the device 100. In one particular example, the first portion 130 of the base 102 and/or the bottom surface 126 of the moveable member 124 may comprise a rubber material, such as silicone rubber as a non-limiting example.
In some examples, such as shown in any one of
The layer-upon-layer process utilized in additive manufacturing can deposit one or more components of the device 100 with complex designs that might not be possible for devices assembled with traditional manufacturing. In turn, the design of the device 100 can include aspects that aim to improve overall operation. For example, the design can incorporate physical elements that help redirect stresses in a desired manner that traditionally manufactured devices might not be able to replicate.
Additive manufacturing also enables depositing one or more components of the device 100 in a variety of materials using a multi-material additive-manufacturing process. In such an example, the majority of the device 100 may be made from a first material and the first portion 130 of the base 102 and/or the bottom surface 126 of the moveable member 124 may be made from a second material that is different than the first material. In one particular example, the first material comprises a plastic such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or polyoxymethylene (POM), and the second material comprises a high friction material such as rubber as a non-limiting example. In another example, both the entire device 100 is made from the same material. Other example material combinations are possible as well. Further, one or more components of the device 100 can have some layers that are created using a first type of material and other layers that are created using a second type of material.
In use, the device 100 provides a surgical apparatus that allows the user to safely and swiftly load and unload a surgical blade from a variety of scalpel handles (such as a short and long #3 scalpel handle as non-limiting examples). The sharp end of the surgical blade rests between the bottom surface 126 of the moveable member 124 and the base 102. The non-sharp end of the surgical blade rests on top of the first protrusion 118 and the second protrusion 120, which are spaced apart from each other to form a gap 122 in order to slide the scalpel handle in and out of the device 100 for loading and unloading of the surgical blade. The first protrusion 118 and the second protrusion 120 provide the leverage needed to pry the scalpel handle away from the surgical blade by applying a downward motion, thereby leaving the surgical blade in place but separating the scalpel handle away from the surgical blade. Once decoupled, the scalpel handle is moved away from the surgical blade and device 100 to complete the process of unloading the surgical blade.
To aid in the loading and unloading of the surgical blade to the scalpel handle, the bottom surface 126 of the moveable member 124 is used to clamp down the top portion of the surgical blade on the sharp side against the base 102. This creates a strong friction force that prevents the surgical blade from moving or sliding away while being loaded and unloaded from the scalpel handle. In addition, the clamping feature of the bottom surface 126 of the moveable member 124 protects the user from any of the sharp aspects of the surgical blade by enclosing the sharp end of the surgical blade within the sidewalls of the device 100. As discussed above, the first and second protrusions 118, 120 and the base 102 are constructed with staggered heights with the first and second protrusions 118, 120 sitting slightly taller than the height of the base when the device 100 is laid flat. This arrangement creates an angled resting position of the surgical blade where the sharp end of the surgical blade sits lower than the non-sharp side of the surgical blade, which facilitates the easily matching of a track system on the scalpel handle to the interior edges of the surgical blade where the scalpel handle is loaded.
Initially, at block 202, the method 200 includes positioning a surgical blade between the first sidewall 112 and the second sidewall 114 of the device 100 such that a sharp end of the surgical blade is positioned at the first end 104 of the base 102 between the base 102 and the moveable member 124.
At block 204, the method 200 includes transitioning the moveable member 124 from the first position to the second position, where the surgical blade is pinned between the base 102 and the bottom surface 126 of the moveable member 124 when the moveable member 124 is in the second position. This step may be accomplished by applying a force to the top surface 128 of the moveable member 124 (e.g., pinching the moveable member 124).
At block 206, the method 200 includes positioning a scalpel handle between the first protrusion 118 and the second protrusion 120 and through a slot in the surgical blade in a direction towards the first end 104 of the base 102 until the scalpel handle is coupled to the surgical blade by a track system in the scalpel handle.
At block 208, the method 200 includes transitioning the moveable member 124 from the second position to the first position. This step may be accomplished by applying simply removing the force from the top surface 128 of the moveable member 124, and enabling the moveable member 124 to spring back to the first position due to the material properties of the device 100.
At block 210, the method 200 includes removing the coupled surgical blade and the scalpel handle from the device 100.
Initially, at block 302, the method 300 includes positioning a surgical blade that is coupled to a scalpel handle between the first sidewall 112 and the second sidewall 114 of the device 100 such that a sharp end of the surgical blade is positioned at the first end 104 of the base 102 between the base 102 and the moveable member 124.
At block 304, the method 300 includes transitioning the moveable member 124 from the first position to the second position, where the surgical blade is pinned between the base 102 and the bottom surface 126 of the moveable member 124 when the moveable member 124 is in the second position.
At block 306, the method 300 includes moving the scalpel handle in a direction away from the first end 104 of the base 102 until the scalpel handle separates from the surgical blade.
The methods described herein can be utilized effectively with any of the examples or variations of the devices and systems described above, as well as with other examples and variations not described explicitly in this document. The features of any of the systems, devices, or components thereof described in any of the examples herein can be used in any other suitable example of a device or device component.
It should be understood that arrangements described herein are for purposes of example only. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other arrangements and other elements (e.g. machines, interfaces, functions, orders, and groupings of functions, etc.) can be used instead, and some elements may be omitted altogether according to the desired results. Further, many of the elements that are described are functional entities that may be implemented as discrete or distributed components or in conjunction with other components, in any suitable combination and location, or other structural elements described as independent structures may be combined.
While various aspects and examples have been disclosed herein, other aspects and examples will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and examples disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope being indicated by the following claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular examples only, and is not intended to be limiting.
