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. 27, 2011
Filed:
Jan. 25, 2001
Bradley M. Wilkinson, North Haledon, NJ (US);
Anthony J. Kosinski, New Providence, NJ (US);
Charles Hwang, Waltham, MA (US);
Ann Eckert, Nazareth, PA (US);
Simon Cohn, Rutherford, NJ (US);
Noel Gharibian, Glendale, CA (US);
Bradley M. Wilkinson, North Haledon, NJ (US);
Anthony J. Kosinski, New Providence, NJ (US);
Charles Hwang, Waltham, MA (US);
Ann Eckert, Nazareth, PA (US);
Simon Cohn, Rutherford, NJ (US);
Noel Gharibian, Glendale, CA (US);
Aspen Surgical Products, Inc., Caledonia, MI (US);
Abstract
A surgical scalpel includes an elongate handle defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end and a distal end. The scalpel has a cartridge removably mounted to the handle that has a blade holder with a proximal end and a distal end. There is a blade fixedly attached to blade holder disposed so that the blade projects distally outwardly when the cartridge is mounted on the handle. The cartridge also has a shield with a proximal end, a distal end and a bottom mounted onto the blade holder. The shield is slidably movable between a distal position where the shield substantially prevents inadvertent access to the blade and a proximal position where the shield substantially surrounds a portion of the handle and the blade is exposed for use. The cartridge is releasably mountable to the handle and has elements for substantially preventing movement of the shield with respect to the blade holder unless the cartridge is mounted on the handle. The cartridge further including elements for substantially preventing an inadvertent movement of the shield to the proximal position thereby to expose the blade as the cartridge is being mounted to the handle.