Claims
- 1. A skin lesion exciser comprising:
a moving blade, wherein excision of a skin lesion placed in proximity to said blade is effected by movement of said blade against the skin; a moving engagement portion, wherein said blade and said engagement portion have coincident movement; and a skin-closure device having an open condition prior to excision of the skin lesion, and a closed condition in which said device holds the skin closed after excision of the skin lesion, said device being in engagement with said engagement portion during movement of said blade, said device being moved from its said open to its said closed condition in response to movement of said engagement portion, whereby the excision of the skin lesion and the closure of the skin are substantially simultaneous.
- 2. The skin lesion exciser of claim 1, wherein said blade is a single blade.
- 3. The skin lesion exciser of claim 1, wherein said blade is one of two blades which are moved toward each other during excision of the lesion from the skin.
- 4. The skin lesion exciser of claim 1, further comprising integral forceps with which the lesion is grasped.
- 5. The skin lesion exciser of claim 1, further comprising separable forceps with which the lesion is grasped.
- 6. The skin lesion exciser of claim 1, wherein said skin-closure device comprises a pair of legs which are moved toward each other as said device is moved from its said open condition to its said closed condition.
- 7. The skin lesion exciser of claim 6, wherein said skin-closure device is unitary.
- 8. The skin lesion exciser of claim 6, wherein said skin-closure device is comprised of two separate pieces, each said device piece including one of said device legs, said device pieces being connected to each other in said device closed condition.
- 9. The skin lesion exciser of claim 8, wherein said skin-closure device pieces are interference-fitted together in said device closed condition.
- 10. The skin lesion exciser of claim 1, wherein said skin-closure device includes skin-piercing portions which protrude through the skin in said device closed condition, whereby said device is secured to the closed skin.
- 11. The skin lesion exciser of claim 1, wherein said skin-closure device is formed of a material selected from a group consisting of metal and plastic.
- 12. The skin lesion exciser of claim 1, wherein said skin-closure device is a staple.
- 13. A method for excising a skin lesion comprising:
positioning a skin lesion above a moving blade; slicing the lesion from the skin with the blade; and substantially simultaneously with excision of the lesion, closing the skin beneath the moving blade.
- 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the lesion is pulled above the moving blade.
- 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the lesion is pulled with tweezers or forceps.
- 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the skin is cut with the moving blade outside the perimeter of the lesion, whereby the lesion is sliced from the skin.
- 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the skin is cut with a single moving blade.
- 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising moving the blade with a spring.
- 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the skin is cut between a pair of blades, at least one of which is moving.
- 20. The method of claim 13, wherein the dermis located at the lesion excision site is brought into abutting contact.
- 21. The method of claim 13, further comprising forming a substantially elliptically-shaped closure wound.
- 22. The method of claim 13, wherein the skin is closed with a skin-closure device.
- 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising closing the skin by pinching the skin between two elongate skin-closure device legs, and engaging the device legs into a device closed condition.
- 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising piercing the skin located between the elongate skin-closure device legs.
- 25. The method of claim 22, further comprising moving two skin-closure device legs towards each other on opposite sides of the perimeter of the lesion, and pinching the skin with the two device legs.
- 26. The method of claim 25, wherein two connected skin-closure device legs are moved towards each other.
- 27. The method of claim 25, wherein two unconnected skin-closure device legs are moved towards each other.
- 28. The method of claim 13, wherein the skin is closed in response to movement of the blade.
- 29. The method of claim 13, further comprising pinching the skin outside the perimeter of the skin lesion and cutting the skin outside the perimeter of the skin lesion.
- 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the skin is pinched prior to cutting the skin.
- 31. The method of claim 13, wherein said closing of the skin comprises stapling the skin.
- 32. A skin lesion exciser comprising:
relatively moving first and second members; a moving blade attached to at least one of said first and second members, wherein excision of a skin lesion placed in proximity to said blade is effected by movement of said blade against the skin; and a skin-closure device having first and second halves, each said device half being connected to a respective said first and second member, said device having an open condition prior to excision of the skin lesion, movement of said first and second members bringing said device halves into engagement wherein said device halves have a closed condition in which skin surrounding the perimeter of the lesion to be excised is pinched between said device halves and said device holds the skin closed after excision of the skin lesion; and wherein movement of said blade against the skin occurs in said device closed condition.
- 33. The skin lesion exciser of claim 32, wherein said first and second members are pivotally joined.
- 34. The skin lesion exciser of claim 33, wherein each of said first and second members have a handle portion and a jaw portion, said handle portions and said jaw portions respectively moved toward each other during excision of the skin lesion.
- 35. The skin lesion exciser of claim 34, wherein said skin-closure device first and second halves are respectively connected to said first and second member jaw portions.
- 36. The skin lesion exciser of claim 34, wherein said blade is provided on at least one of said first and second member jaw portions.
- 37. The skin lesion exciser of claim 36, wherein said jaw portions have free ends which are located proximate the skin during excision of the skin lesion, and said skin-closure device is located between said blade and said jaw free ends.
- 38. The skin lesion exciser of claim 33, further comprising integral forceps with which the lesion is grasped, said forceps being moved in response to relative movement between said first and second members.
- 39. The skin lesion exciser of claim 38, wherein said forceps are moved into a closed position during movement of said skin-closure device first and second halves from their said open condition to their said closed condition.
- 40. The skin lesion exciser of claim 32, wherein said skin-closure device first and second halves are respectively releasably adhered to said first and second members, said device being released from said first and second members in said device closed condition after excision of the skin lesion.
- 41. The skin lesion exciser of claim 32, wherein said skin-closure device is a staple.
- 42. A method for excising a skin lesion comprising:
positioning a skin lesion above a moving blade; engaging two halves of a skin-closure device and pinching skin located outside the perimeter of the lesion between the device halves; slicing the lesion from the skin with the blade above the device; and holding the excision site closed with the device.
- 43. The method of claim 42, further comprising bringing the dermis at the excision site into abutment.
- 44. A skin-closure device comprising:
a pair of elongate legs, said device having an open condition in which said legs are distant and a closed condition in which said legs are proximate, each of said legs being provided with at least one skin-piercing pin which extends toward the other said leg, whereby said device, in its said closed condition, is retained to the skin by said pins.
- 45. The skin-closure device of claim 44, wherein said device is made from a material selected from the group consisting of metal and plastic.
- 46. The skin-closure device of claim 44, wherein said device is a staple.
- 47. A skin-closure device comprising:
first and second separate halves, said halves having means for interfitting with each other without said interfitting means piercing the skin; said device having a first, open condition in which said halves are less than fully engaged with each other; and a second, closed condition in which said halves are fully engaged with each other and retained together; and wherein at least one of said halves includes means for retaining said device to the skin without interconnecting said first and second halves.
- 48. The skin-closure device of claim 47, wherein at least one of said first and second device halves is made of a material selected from the group consisting of metal and plastic.
- 49. The skin-closure device of claim 47, wherein said means for retaining comprises pins which pierce the skin at locations between said interfitting means.
- 50. A skin lesion exciser comprising:
a blade, wherein excision of a skin lesion placed in proximity to said blade is effected by movement of said blade against the skin; a skin-closure device which holds the skin closed at the site of the excision after excision of the skin lesion from the skin; and means for excising the skin lesion from the skin with said blade and closing the skin with said device during movement of said blade.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of United States Provisional Applications No. 60/326,254 filed Oct. 1, 2001, No. 60/332,276 filed Nov. 14, 2001, and No. 60/357,520 filed Feb. 15, 2002.
Provisional Applications (3)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60326254 |
Oct 2001 |
US |
|
60332276 |
Nov 2001 |
US |
|
60357520 |
Feb 2002 |
US |