The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 16, 1998
Filed:
Jun. 10, 1996
Bing Li, Edmond, OK (US);
Other;
Abstract
The present invention discloses a surgical instrument system including a surgical knife for use in incising a tissue of a patient and a vacuum system coupled to the surgical knife. The surgical knife includes a blade having a cutting edge and tip associated therewith and having a width for making an incision in a tissue of a patient, and an incision depth control guard having a surface normal to the blade and at a predetermined distance above the tip of the blade. The surface of the depth control guard normal to the blade has an opening formed therein through which a vacuum is drawn to create a suction force whereby the tissue to be incised is pulled into substantial contact with the surface. The system further includes a vacuum device suitably operative to create a suction force through the opening in the surface of the incision depth control guard to thereby maintain substantial contact between the tissue to be incised and the surface of the incision depth control guard.