Becton Dickinson and Company Limited

Robert W Pierce

Dana Michael Cote

Neil Jolly

Craig D Newman

Edwin G Lee

Joseph Francis Keenan

Richard V Kennedy

A corneal incision device of the present invention includes a surgical blade and a frame having an inner surface with a configuration that is generally in the shape of a ring-like segment of a hollow sphere. The frame has an aperture therein to allow the surgical blade to be inserted through the frame beyond the inner surface. The aperture is sized and shaped to allow movement of the surgical blade in one axis. The device may have a protuberance affixed to the inner surface of the frame adjacent to the aperture disposed to distort a surface of a patient's eye when the device is selectively positioned on the eye by a practitioner. The device has provisions for holding, advancing and withdrawing the surgical blade through the aperture, disposed on the frame. The device is releasably retained on the patient's eye by fixation elements disposed on the inner surface of the frame. There is a handle affixed to the frame to facilitate the practitioner's manipulation of device.

Corneal incision device

A corneal incision device includes a surgical blade and a frame having an inner surface with a configuration that is generally in the shape of a ring-like segment of a hollow sphere. The frame has an aperture therein to allow the surgical blade to be inserted through the frame beyond the inner surface. The aperture is sized and shaped to allow movement of the surgical blade in one axis. The device may have a protuberance affixed to the inner surface of the frame adjacent to the aperture disposed to distort a surface of a patient's eye when the device is selectively positioned on the eye by a practitioner. The device has provisions for holding, advancing and withdrawing the surgical blade through the aperture, disposed on the frame. The device is releasably retained on the patient's eye by fixation elements disposed on the inner surface of the frame. There is a handle affixed to the frame to facilitate the practitioner's manipulation of device.

Surgical knife handle

The multi-plane corneal incision form of this invention includes a frame member in the shape of a segment of a hollow sphere that fits over a patient's cornea. The inner surface of the frame member includes a protuberance that distorts the cornea when the frame member is placed against the patient's cornea. The frame member also includes an aperture adjacent to the protuberance to allow a surgical blade to pass therethrough. By carefully configuring the protuberance and aligning the aperture, a physician can insert a surgical blade into the aperture and through the distorted cornea in a planar fashion that results in a multi-plane incision in the cornea once the frame member is removed from contact with the patient's cornea.

Multi-plane corneal incision form

The reusable device handle of this invention includes a nosepiece, a body, an activation rod, an ejector rod and a biasing mechanism. The nosepiece and the body are generally hollow. The nosepiece is connected to the body. The activation rod and the ejector rod are connected together and are disposed in the nosepiece and the body. The biasing mechanism is disposed in the body and biases the activation rod toward the proximal end of the body so that the proximal portion of the activation rod extends proximally from the proximal end of the body. The distal end of the nosepiece is designed to accept a cartridge therein that holds a blade or some other tool. The cartridge can be removably connected to the nosepiece. By pressing the proximal end of the activation rod, the distal end of the ejector rod contacts the cartridge and ejects the cartridge from the nosepiece.

Reusable device handle

This invention relates to an improved guarded surgical scalpel having a movable guard that can be retracted to expose the blade and that can be extended to cover the sharp cutting edge of the blade. The guard is telescopically mounted inside the blade handle and includes a deflectable top wall portion that holds a detent pin or that defines a radially extending flange. This detent pin or flange engages a slot having upturned ends formed in at least one side wall of the blade handle. The detent pin or flange is biased upwardly into the upturned ends of the slot to hold the guard in the retracted or extended position. The blade can include a tang having a notch formed therein. The distal end of one sidewall of the guard can be formed with a complementary notch such that when the distal end of the sidewall of the guard engages the proximal end of the blade, forward movement of the guard forces the blade off of the scalpel. A lifter wedge is provided to urge the proximal end of the blade away from a blade carrier into engagement with the distal end of the sidewall of the guard.

Guarded surgical scalpel with scalpel blade remover

This invention relates to an improved guarded surgical scalpel having a movable guard that can be retracted to expose the blade and that can be extended to cover the sharp cutting edge of the blade. The guard is telescopically mounted inside the blade handle and includes a deflectable top wall portion that holds a detent pin or that defines a radially extending flange. This detent pin or flange engages a slot having upturned ends that is formed in at least one side wall of the blade handle. The detent pin or flange is biased upwardly into the upturned ends of the slot to hold the guard in the retracted or extended position. The blade can include a tang having a notch formed therein. The distal end of one sidewall of the guard can be formed with a complementary notch such that when the distal end of the sidewall of the guard engages the proximal end of the blade, forward movement of the guard forces the blade off of the scalpel. A wedge mechanism is provided to urge the proximal end of the blade away from a blade carrier into engagement with the distal end of the sidewall of the guard.

This invention relates to an improved guarded surgical scalpel having a movable guard that can be retracted to expose the blade and that can be extended to cover the sharp cutting edge of the blade. The guard is also mounted for rotatable movement with respect to the handle. A blade carrier is mounted to the guard to allow relative longitudinal movement between the guard and the blade carrier. The blade carrier is also removably mounted to the handle. This mounting arrangement for the handle, guard and blade carrier allows the guard and blade carrier to be rotated away from the handle so the surfaces of the handle, guard and blade carrier can be exposed. This facilitates cleaning of the guarded surgical scalpel after use.

Cleanable guarded surgical scalpel with scalpel blade remover

This invention relates to an improved guarded surgical scalpel having a movable guard that can be retracted to expose the blade and that can be extended to cover the sharp cutting edge of the blade. The guard is telescopically mounted inside the blade handle and includes a deflectable top wall portion that holds a detent pin. This detent pin engages a slot having upturned ends that is formed in at least one side wall of the blade handle. The detent pin is biased upwardly into the upturned ends to hold the guard in the retracted or extended position.

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Wrentham, MA, United States of America

Robert W Pierce