Suture Cutting And Removal Instrument

Abstract

A suture cutting and removal instrument is provided which includes hinged members for suture gripping, one member having a suture-lifting portion and an integral cutting blade for severing the sutures.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

A suture cutting and removal instrument is provided for lifting, cutting and gripping of the suture.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Various instruments have been developed for cutting and removal of sutures.

One such instrument is shown in the U.S. Pat. to Hoppe, No. 3,364,572 which has a pair of tweezers for holding the suture with a slidable knife attached thereto to be moved forward by the operator to cut the sutures.

Another type of instrument is that shown in the U.S. Pat. to Profy, No. 3,443,313, wherein the instrument includes a pair of scissors with a clamping tip 22 and a cutting tip 20 which has a blade 24. This instrument does not have a suture-lifting portion for insertion under the sutures and relies on a scissor action for cutting which requires excessive manipulation.

None of the patents shows an instrument such as the present invention with an elongated end to lift the sutures, a gripping portion adjacent thereto and a fixed blade member perpendicular to the gripping portion to sever the sutures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A suture cutting and removal instrument is provided which comprises a pair of opposed hinged members with a suture-lifting portion with outer gripping portions and with a cutting blade on one of the members perpendicular to the gripping portions.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a suture cutting and removal instrument which may be used for one-handed cutting and removal of sutures.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a suture cutting and removal instrument which is simple and inexpensive to construct but sturdy and reliable in operation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a suture cutting and removal instrument that is useful with sutures of many sizes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a suture cutting and removal instrument that is easy to use and causes less trauma than other instruments of its type.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one embodiment of the instrument of the present invention in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the instrument in open position;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of another embodiment of one of the gripping members of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of another embodiment of the present invention.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and FIGS. 1 to 3 thereof, one embodiment of the invention is there illustrated which includes a first elongated arm 10 and a second elongated arm 11 with crossing portions at 15 pivotedly joined together by a screw pivot 12.

The arms 10 and 11 have straight shanks 13 rearwardly of the screw pivot 12 that are provided with finger grips 14 adjacent to which are inwardly extending stop projections 16 to prevent overtravel of the arms 10 and 11.

In front of screw pivot 12 the first arm 10 has a curved gripping talon 20 which extends forwardly in an arc and terminates in a gripping face 21 flat or serrated as desired. The second arm 11 extends forwardly of screw pivot 12 with an enlarged or thickened portion 23 with bifurcations 24 and 25, extending therefrom. A transverse web 27 extends between the bifurcations 24 and 25 and tapers to a transverse curved knife edge 28 which can be used for cutting sutures. The bifurcation 24 has a face needlelike portion 29 for gripping engagement by the face 21 and a projection 30 thereon extending forwardly of smaller diameter than that of bifurcation 24 and with a blunt tip 31 for insertion under and lifting of the sutures (not shown) to be removed.

Referring now to FIG. 4 another embodiment of arm 11 is shown forwardly of enlarged portion 23 which arm 11 includes a bifurcation 124 and a bifurcation 125.

A transverse web 127 extends between the bifurcations 124 and 125 and has a forward transverse curved knife edge 128 for cutting sutures. The bifurcation 124 is curved sharply upward from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, has a suture-gripping face 129 and is somewhat slimmer in diameter, with a needlelike projection 130 extending therefrom with blunt tip 131 for insertion under the sutures (not shown) to be cut.

Referring now to FIG. 5, another embodiment of the invention is shown which includes arms 210 and 211 spring hingedly secured together at 212 and so that the free ends of the arms 210 and 211 are normally separated but may be manually brought together by the fingers of one hand. The arm 211 extends forwardly and arcuately and terminates at a suture-gripping face 221. The arm extends forwardly with a thickened portion 223 which has bifurcations 224 and 225. A transverse web 227 extends between bifurcations 224 and 225 and terminates at a transverse curved forward knife edge 228. The bifurcation 224 has a front needlelike projection 230 thereon with a blunt tip 231 for insertion under sutures (not shown) for lifting.

The close proximity of the needlelike projections 30, 130 and 230 to the cutting edges 28, 128 and 228 and the suture gripping faces 21-29, 21-129, and 221-229, reduces the manipulation of the instrument necessary for suture cutting and removal and permits of one-handed operation. The close proximity also of the cutting edges 28, 128 and 228 and the suture-gripping faces 21-29, 21-129 and 221-229 permits gripping of the suture immediately subsequent to cutting of the suture while the close proximity of the suture-gripping faces 21-29, 21-129 and 221-229 and the needlelike projections 30, 130 and 230, permits of gripping of a portion of the suture under which the needlelike projection has been inserted.

The suture cutting and removal instruments heretofore described can be fabricated of steel, molded of synthetic plastic material or of other suitable material for either single use or multiple use.

It will thus be seen that apparatus has been provided with which the objects of the invention are attained.

Claims

I claim:

1. A suture cutting and removal instrument comprising

a pair of arms with free terminal end portions and suture-gripping faces thereon,

a hinged connection for said arms for movement of said gripping faces toward and away from each other in a plane,

one of said arms having spaced from its terminal end portion toward the hinged connection bifurcations with a suture-cutting edge therebetween coplanar with said plane of movement and facing toward said terminal end portion, and

said one of said arms having its terminal end portion extending beyond the terminal end portion of the other arm and provided beyond its gripping face with a needlelike projection for insertion under a suture to be removed.

2. A suture cutting and removal instrument as defined in claim 1 in which

said arms have suture-gripping faces between the projection and the cutting edge of said one of said arms and at the terminal end of the other of said arms.

3. A suture cutting and removal instrument as defined in claim 1 in which

said hinged connection is a screw pivot.

4. A suture cutting and removal instrument as defined in claim 1 in which

said hinged invention is a resilient connection.

5. A suture cutting and removal instrument as defined in claim 1 in which

said one of said arms toward its terminal end portion and between the cutting edge and the projection has a curved portion.

6. A suture cutting and removal instrument as defined in claim 1 in which

said instrument is of molded synthetic plastic material.