Apparatus for implementing a standardized skin incision

Apparatus for implementing a standardized skin incision comprising:

• a housing having an internal hollow and having located on a surface an elongated slot with said surface configured to be placed flush against the skin of a patient,
• cam means coupled within the hollow of said housing and having a given arcuate surface having a series of convolutions and directed above said housing surface and positioned above said slot,
• a movable arm pivotally secured to said housing on a surface within said hollow and having a pivot point on a surface and having a cam coacting means whereby said arm can pivot along a path traversing said slot, and means coupled to said arm to allow said arm to also move transverse to said slot while pivoting along said slot, cutting edge means coupled to said arm and positioned within said housing in a first position of said arm and adapted to extend through said slot when said arm is moving,
• spring bias means coupled to said arm to exert a spring force on said arm in said first position, activatable releasing means coupled to said housing and coacting with said arm when activated whereby said arm due to said spring energy traverses said slot causing said cutting edge means to enter said slot and perform an incision according to the movement of said arm as controlled by said cam surface.

An improved device for forming a skin incision, said device of the type including a cutting edge which is caused to traverse a path upon the pivotal movement of an arm member coupled to said cutting edge, the improvement for causing said edge to traverse a relatively linear path when said member is pivoted, comprising in combination:

• a single cam member including a single slotted cam surface taking the form of a cross section of an inverted trough, said cam surface including first and second slotted sides of opposite slope and of equal length forming sides of said trough, said first and second slotted sides converging in a direction away from said edge, a central slotted straight line portion joining opposing ends of said first and second sides to define a closed portion of said trough to compensate for an arcuate path movement, and
• cam follower means coupled to said arm member to control movement of said arm and means coupled to said arm to allow said arm to move in directions transverse to said arcuate path while pivoting to thereby cause said cutting edge to provide an incision in the skin of a patient of a given length and substantially of a predetermined depth along said given length with the first side of said cam surface constraining said cutting edge to move in a direction to penetrate said patient's skin at a given depth and to travel a given distance at said depth due to said central portion and then to withdraw as constrained by said second side.

An apparatus for implementing a standardized skin incision comprising:

• a housing having an internal hollow and having located on a surface an opening, with said surface adapted to be placed flush against a patient's skin,
• a movable member within said hollow,
• a blade coupled to said movable member having a cutting edge and a sharpened apex,
• a single cam including a single slotted cam surface taking the form of a cross-section of an inverted trough, said slotted cam surface having first and second sides of equal length and opposite slope forming sides of said trough, said first and second sides diverging with respect to said opening and converging toward a closed portion of said trough, a central slotted atraight line portion joining opposing ends of said first and second sides to define said closed portion of said trough to define a controlled path including cam follower means associated with said housing and said movable member to allow said movable member to move within constraints imposed by said cam and follower means and causing said apex of said blade to trace a controlled path through said opening with the first side of said cam surface constraining said blade to move through said opening and out of said hollow to penetrate said patient's skin at a given depth and to travel a given distance at said depth due to said central portion and then to withdraw back into said hollow constrained by said second side to cause said cutting edge to incise said patient's skin,
• activatable trigger means coupled to said movable member to hold said movable member in a first position where said cutting edge and sharpened apex are within said housing and to release said movable member to cause said apex to traverse said controlled path when activated,
• biasing means coupled to said movable member to bias said movable member in said first position and to provide a motivating force to move said movable member when said trigger means is activated.