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. 23, 1998
Filed:
May. 14, 1997
John J Frantzen, Copperopolis, CA (US);
Global Therapeutics, Inc., Broomfield, CO (US);
Abstract
An incision device 10 is provided for precisely initiating and controlling the depth of an incision I in an artery A, such as a coronary artery A of a heart H, particularly while the heart H is beating. A handle 12 is provided for grasping by a surgeon and from which an arm 40 adjustably extends. A blade 70 is located at a free end 44 of the arm 40. A front depth control pin 80 and a rear depth control pin 90 are oriented parallel to each other and perpendicular to a plane in which the arm 40 and handle 12 are oriented and perpendicular to a cutting plane in which the cutting edge 74 of the blade 70 is oriented. The two depth control pins 80,90 together define a depth control plane with the cutting edge 74 of the blade 70 extending below the depth control plane to a desired maximum depth. The blade 70 is spaced sufficiently away from the front depth control pin 80 that the front depth control pin 80 can be located adjacent the artery A before the incision I is initiated. The incision device 10 can then be rotated, causing a tip 72 of the blase 70 to pierce the top wall T of the artery A while the front depth control pin 80 steadies the blade 70 and incision device 10, relative to the artery A in which the incision I is being made. Once the incision device 10 has been rotated until both the front depth control pin 80 and rear depth control pin 90 are adjacent the artery A, the incision I can be made to the desired length with the depth of the incision I maintained by the depth control pins 80,90.