Nucleus Chopper and Splitter

A surgical instrument with an exposed cutting edge for cutting body tissue, said instrument comprising:

• a handle assembly,
• said handle assembly having a proximal end and a distal end,
• said handle assembly having an axis extending from said proximal end to said distal end;
• a first jaw attached to said handle assembly at said distal end,
• said first jaw comprising a flat plate having an upper edge, a lower edge and two side edges,
• said first jaw positioned to intersect said handle axis at an angle of about segment first and second spring steel segments;
• a second jaw,
• said second jaw having an upper edge, a lower edge and two side edges,
• said second jaw being moveable with respect to said first jaw;
• said first and second jaws being substantially parallel to one another;
• said handle assembly further comprising means to selectively force said first and second jaws into contact with one another and apart from one another;
• and
• said first and second jaws sized and positioned to bring said jaws into face-to-face contact with said first and second bottom edges aligned to form a single exposed and unenclosed cutting edge when said forcing means is activated to force said first and second jaws into contact one with one another,
• whereby said single unexposed cutting edge can be used to form a cut in said body tissue and said first and second jaws can be used to widen said cut when said forcing means is used to move said first and second jaws away from one another.