A safety cutting device includes a slidable insert that moves longitudinally within a cavity of a housing. The slidable insert has a cutting blade attached and moves within the housing from a safe position in which the blade is covered to an exposed position for cutting. The safety device has a release button positioned near an anterior end of the housing. A biasing member automatically retracts the blade when the release button is activated.

A scalpel handle includes an outer body defining a first end and a cavity therein and an insert defining a blade holder disposed at a first end thereof and positionable within the cavity of the outer body with the blade holder extending outwardly away from the first end of the outer portion. A shield is coupled with the body and positionable around the blade holder, and a removal wedge fixed with respect to the shield and disposed in a substantially fixed lateral position at least partially aligned with a portion of the blade holder.

A scalpel handle includes an outer body defining a first end and a cavity therein and an insert defining a blade holder disposed at a first end thereof and positionable within the cavity of the outer body with the blade holder extending outwardly away from the first end of the outer portion. A shield is coupled with the body and positionable around the blade holder, and a removal wedge fixed with respect to the shield and disposed in a substantially fixed lateral position at least partially aligned with a portion of the blade holder.

An ergonomically balanced safety scalpel that includes a pair of matched handle halves slidingly cooperative into a closed position and an open position. When in use, the handle halves are slidingly positioned in the closed position to expose the blade. The handle halves are slidingly repositioned relative to each other into the open position, when the safety scalpel is not in use, to extend one handle half relative to the other handle half whereby the blade is shielded therebetween.

An ergonomically balanced safety scalpel that includes a pair of matched handle halves slidingly cooperative into a closed position and an open position. When in use, the handle halves are slidingly positioned in the closed position to expose the blade. The handle halves are slidingly repositioned relative to each other into the open position, when the safety scalpel is not in use, to extend one handle half relative to the other handle half whereby the blade is shielded therebetween.

A scalpel handle for holding a blade includes a handle member and a blade shield for covering the cutting edge of the blade. The blade shield is connected to the handle member for movement relative thereto between a blade-covering position and an out-of-the-way position, and a finger-operable actuator is mounted upon the handle member for movement relative thereto and is connected to the shield so that by moving the actuator between first and second conditions, the shield is moved between its blade-covering and its out-of-the-way positions. An over center spring is interposed between the actuator and the handle member so that upon movement of the actuator into its second condition, the shield is biased into the out-of-the-way position and so that upon movement of the actuator into its first condition, the shield is biased into the blade-covering position.

A scalpel handle for holding a blade includes a handle member and a blade shield for covering the cutting edge of the blade. The blade shield is connected to the handle member for movement relative thereto between a blade-covering position and an out-of-the-way position, and a finger-operable actuator is mounted upon the handle member for movement relative thereto and is connected to the shield so that by moving the actuator between first and second conditions, the shield is moved between its blade-covering and its out-of-the-way positions. An over center spring is interposed between the actuator and the handle member so that upon movement of the actuator into its second condition, the shield is biased into the out-of-the-way position and so that upon movement of the actuator into its first condition, the shield is biased into the blade-covering position.

The invention provides a tissue cutting device comprising a handle, a first blade, and a second blade. The second blade is coupled to the handle. The second blade is rotatable relative to the first blade such that the second blade is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position. The second blade is in a same plane as the first blade when the second blade is in the first position. The second blade is rotated into a different plane from the first blade when the second blade is rotated from the first position toward the second position.

Sensing technology methods related thereto for determining cut through of bone and a depth of penetration of a working portion of a surgical instrument (e.g., an oscillating saw blade in a cut). A first sensor outputs a first signal representative of a displacement of the cutting edge of the saw blade in the cut. A second sensor outputs a second signal representative of a force applied to the cutting edge of the saw blade. As such, monitoring the first and/or second sensor may allow for the saw to be stopped upon completion of a cut (e.g., when the saw passes completely through a medium to be cut or upon reaching a predetermined depth for the cut).

Sensing technology methods related thereto for determining cut through of bone and a depth of penetration of a working portion of a surgical instrument (e.g., an oscillating saw blade in a cut). A first sensor outputs a first signal representative of a displacement of the cutting edge of the saw blade in the cut. A second sensor outputs a second signal representative of a force applied to the cutting edge of the saw blade. As such, monitoring the first and/or second sensor may allow for the saw to be stopped upon completion of a cut (e.g., when the saw passes completely through a medium to be cut or upon reaching a predetermined depth for the cut).