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:
Dec. 18, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 15, 2000
Nathan K. Meckel, LaMesa, CA (US);
Molecular Metallurgy, Inc., El Cajon, CA (US);
Abstract
A scalpel blade is made by depositing a coating onto a tapered region of a substrate which is tapered with an included angle of from about 10 to about 25 degrees to an edge. The substrate is made of surgical-grade stainless steel hardened to a Rockwell C hardness of at least 54 and then annealed to a Rockwell C hardness of from about 46 to less than about 53. The coating overlying the tapered region has a thickness of from about 0.1 to about 2.5 micrometers and includes a first coating layer of a first metal, and a second coating layer overlying the first coating layer. The first coating layer is preferably zirconium or a zirconium-base alloy, and the second coating layer is preferably zirconium nitride. The edge may be atomically sharpened by applying a large negative voltage to the substrate relative to the deposition source while a portion of the thickness of the second coating layer is being deposited.