US 4,527,331 AGranted

Suture remover and continuous band scissors

OwnerJeffrey I. Lasner, Francisco H. Aleixoinventors

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Abstract

An improved surgical suture remover is formed of a single elongated strip of resiliently flexible material having a bend substantially midway in its elongation to define first and second shanks respectively carrying a blade and a shearing portion at their corresponding ends. The blade includes a cutting section, and the shearing portion includes a cutting edge, and the blade and shearing portion are pivotally connected for movement of the cutting section and cutting edge toward and away from each other along a cutting plane to cooperatively sever a suture therebetween. An elongated suture gripping element unitarily depending from the shearing portion includes a contact area for suture gripping contact with the cutting section during an operating stroke or jaw closure of the instrument. In another embodiment there is a cutting blade and a shear blade forming a scissors, with each blade having an elongated raised rib, and an abutment shoulder. The ribs render the blade tips inflexible and bow the blades relative to each other, in order to provide edge-to-edge contact between the blades.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An improved suture remover, comprising:

a single elongated strip of resiliently flexible material, said strip being bent substantially midway in its elongation to define a first shank carrying an integral blade at its end remote from said bend and a second shank carrying an integral shearing portion at its end remote from said bend, and said first and second shanks being disposed in substantially spaced apart relation;
a cutting section on said blade;
a cutting edge on said shearing portion;
a twist of substantially 90.degree. in each of said first and second shanks remote from said bend and adjacent said blade and shearing portion so as to dispose said blade and shearing portion in substantially parallel planes;
means pivotally connecting said blade and shearing portion for movement of said cutting section and cutting edge toward and away from each other along a cutting plane for shearing contact with a suture to be cut, said cutting section and cutting edge being pivotally movable toward each other by selective movement of said first and second shanks toward each other, and being thereafter pivotally moved away from each other by a resilient return urgency imparted by said bend in the strip of material;
an integral contact shoulder on each of said first and second shanks adjacent said twist for mutual abutment during suture cutting operative use of the suture remover to prevent pivotal movement of said cutting section and cutting edge toward each other beyond a predetermined point and thereby prevent damage to the suture remover;
and
an elongated suture gripping element having a contact area and integrally connected to said shearing portion at an end of said element remote from said contact area, said gripping element being substantially planar along its elongation and including a bend bridging said planar elongation thereof and said integral connection to said shearing portion by which said gripping element is caused to overlay a portion of said shearing portion from which it integrally depends such that relative movement of said cutting edge and cutting section along said cutting plane for shearing contact with the suture during operative use of the suture remover causes deformation of the gripping element as its contact area is resiliently moved along said cutting plane and substantially perpendicular to the elongation of the gripping element.

5 more elements

A scissors comprising a single elongated strip of resiliently flexible material, said strip being bent substantially midway along its length forming finger gripping sections and first and second shanks which are disposed in a substantially spaced apart relationship, said first shank carrying an integral cutting blade at its end remote from said bend, and said second shank carrying an integral shear blade at its end remote from said bend, a twist of substantially 90.degree. in each of said first and second shanks remote from said bend and adjacent to said cutting blade and shear blade to thereby orient said blades in substantially parallel planes, means pivotally connecting said blades for movement toward and away from each other along a cutting plane for shearing contact with a material to be cut, said cutting blade and shear blade being pivotable movable toward each other by selective movement of said first and second shanks toward each other, an abutment shoulder on each of said first and second shanks adjacent to said twist and extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of said cutting and shear blades for mutual abutment during the operation of the scissors to prevent pivotal movement of said blades toward each other beyond a predetermined point, said cutting blade and shear blade each having an elongated rib portion which is elevated on the outside of said blade and recessed on the inside of said blade, said rib portions functioning to bow both the cutting blade and shear blade so that edge to edge contact thereof is achieved upon moving said blades toward each other.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.