Surgical Instrument

Abstract

A surgical instrument with a handle and a blade disposed thereon having a concavely developed cutting edge, wherein the blade comprises a plane, wherein the surgical instrument comprises ultrasound visibility-enhancing media.

Claims

1. A surgical instrument comprising: a handle; a blade disposed thereon with a concavely developed cutting edge, wherein the blade comprises a blade plane, wherein the surgical instrument comprises ultrasound visibility-enhancing media.

2. The surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein the media comprise ultrasound reflectors.

3. The surgical instrument as in claim 2, wherein the ultrasound reflectors are developed as indentations.

4. The surgical instrument as in claim 3, wherein each indentation of the indentations comprise at least two side faces that are each oriented perpendicularly to one another.

5. The surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein the media are disposed nondetachably on the blade.

6. The surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein the media comprise, at least in sections, a coating.

7. The surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein the media are at least in sections encapsulated with the blade.

8. The surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein the media comprise a sheet-like base element comprising a base plane.

9. The surgical instrument as in claim 2, wherein the ultrasound reflectors are disposed on a base element.

10. The surgical instrument as in claim 8, wherein the base plane is substantially disposed perpendicularly to the blade plane.

11. The surgical instrument as in claim 3, wherein a first of the side faces of one of the indentations forms an angle of approximately 35 with the base plane.

12. The surgical instrument as in claim 3, wherein a second and a third of the side faces are disposed symmetrically to a longitudinal axis of the base element.

13. The surgical instrument as in claim 3, wherein the indentations comprise a triangular base area in an outer surface of the base element, wherein an apex of the triangle points to a distal end of the surgical instrument.

14. The surgical instrument as in claim 1, comprising a form of a stylus with a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the blade is disposed at the distal end.

15. The surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein the blade is disposed on a blade holder.

16. The surgical instrument as in claim 15, wherein the media are nondetachably disposed on the blade holder.

17. The surgical instrument as in claim 1, wherein the blade or the blade holder is detachably secured on the handle.

18. The surgical instrument as in claim 15, comprising a first section, formed substantially by the handle with a first longitudinal axis and a second section, formed substantially by the blade holder, with a second longitudinal axis, wherein the second longitudinal axis is bent by an angle with respect to the first longitudinal axis, which angle is in the range of 10 to 40.

19. The surgical instrument as claim 18, wherein the angle by which the second longitudinal axis is bent with respect to the first longitudinal axis lies in the blade plane.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] An embodiment example of the present application will be described in detail in conjunction with the following Figures. Therein depict

[0028] FIG. 1 a perspective view of an embodiment example of a surgical instrument according to the present disclosure,

[0029] FIG. 2 an enlarged detail of the distal end of the surgical instrument according to FIG. 1,

[0030] FIG. 3 the distal end of the surgical instrument as depicted in FIG. 2 with the blade holder blanked out,

[0031] FIG. 4 a top view onto the distal end according to FIG. 3,

[0032] FIG. 5 a view from the front onto the distal end according to FIG. 3,

[0033] FIG. 6 a top view onto the surgical instrument according to FIG. 1,

[0034] FIG. 7 a section along line A-A in FIG. 6, and

[0035] FIG. 8 an enlarged detail from FIG. 3.

[0036] FIGS. 1 to 8 show different views of an embodiment example of a surgical instrument 10 according to the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The instrument 10 comprises a handle 20 and a blade 30 disposed thereon with a concavely developed cutting edge 32. The blade 30 can be developed knife-like and therein comprises a plane EK that extends parallel to a surface. In FIG. 7 the plane EK of blade 30 is the plane of the paper and is discernible in section in FIG. 5. The thickness of the knife-like blade should be sufficient to ensure adequate stability. The cutting edge 32 can be developed, for example, in the shape of a U or a V. The cutting edge 32 lies in particular in the plane EK of blade 30. The cutting edge 32 is developed for example, starting from one of the side edges of the knife-like blade 30, as a concave recess.

[0038] The blade 30 can be disposed directly on the handle 20. In the present embodiment example the blade 30 is secured in a blade holder 50 disposed on the handle 20. The blade holder 50 can herein be connected unitarily with the handle 20 or, as depicted in the Figures of the present embodiment example, be detachably disposed on the handle 20 via a detachable connection, for example via a threaded connection 60 or a bayonet connection. This permits the simple exchange of the blade 30 thereby that the blade 30 including the blade holder 50 can be exchanged.

[0039] The instrument 10 can comprise a first section 14, formed, for example, largely by the handle 20, with a first longitudinal axis l1, and a second section 15, formed largely by the blade holder 50, with a second longitudinal axis l2. The longitudinal axes l1 and l2 can be aligned. However, the second longitudinal axis l2 is, however, advantageously bent by an angle with respect to the first longitudinal axis l1, wherein the angle is in the range of 10 to 40, preferably in the range of 20 to 30 and is, for example 25. The angle , by which the second longitudinal axis l2 is bent with respect to the first longitudinal axis l1, lies in particular in the plane EK of blade 30 (cf. FIG. 7).

[0040] The instrument 10 can be developed in the form of a stylus with a distal end 11 and a proximal end 12, wherein the blade 30 is disposed at the distal end 11, in particular is disposed frontally on the distal end 11. The blade 30 is herein oriented such that the longitudinal axis l2 of the first section, in particular of the handle 20, lies in the plane of the blade 30.

[0041] The surgical instrument 10 comprises ultrasound visibility-enhancing media 40. These can be disposed in the region of the distal end 11 or in the proximity thereto and are preferably disposed on the blade 30. The media 40 can be disposed nondetachably on the blade 30 or on the blade holder 50. To this end, the media 40 can be, for example, adhered to the blade 30 or be connected unitarily with the blade 30 or the blade holder 50. The media 40 can also be clipped on or snapped on. The media 40 can, at least in sections, be encapsulated with the blade 30 or the blade holder 50 in order to decrease or avoid cracks or crevices.

[0042] The media 40 comprise in particular ultrasound reflectors which can be implemented as indentations 44. The indentations 44 are in particular developed such that they reflect ultrasound, in particular independently of the direction from which the ultrasound impinges on the indentations 44. For this purpose, the indentations [44] can have, for example, precisely three side faces 44a, 44b, 44c oriented perpendicularly to one another (cf. in particular FIG. 8). This results in an indentation 44 such as if a corner of a cube had been pressed into a surface. Such indentations 44 reflect back an incident ultrasound beam, independently of the direction of incidence, parallel to the direction of incidence.

[0043] A first side face 44a of the indentation 44 can form an angle of approximately 35 with the plane EB of the base element 42. A second side face 44b and a third side face 44c can be disposed symmetrically to a longitudinal axis lB of the base element 42. For example, the indentation 44 can comprise a triangular base area 44d in the outer surface of base element 42, wherein the apex of the triangle points toward the distal end 11 of the surgical instrument [10] (cf. FIGS. 4 and 8).

[0044] The media 40 preferably comprise a sheet-like base element 42 which comprises a plane EB extending parallel to a surface of the sheet-like base element 42. The plane EB of base element [42] in FIG. 4 is the plane of the paper and is discernible in FIG. 5 in section. The plane EB of base element 42 extends in particular substantially perpendicularly to plane EK of blade 30. The indentations 44 are disposed in particular in the sheet-like base element 42. The sheet-like base element 42 should therefore be of an adequate thickness that is greater than the depth of the indentation 44. The base element 42 can be disposed directly on one of the side edges of the knife-like blade 30. The base element 42 can alternatively, as is especially discernible in FIG. 5, be disposed by means of a connection bracket 46 on one of the side edges of the knife-like blade 30. The length of base element 42 can herein be longer or shorter than the length of blade 30 or can correspond thereto.

[0045] The media 40 can be provided at least in sections or entirely with a coating which, in particular, fills the indentations 44 and forms a smooth outer side which is easily cleanable. The media 40 can be fabricated in particular of metal, while the coating can be fabricated, for example of an ultrasound-transparent material. The blade holder 50 and/or the handle 20 can be produced of synthetic material, for example utilizing an injection molding process, wherein, in particular, the blade holder 50 and the handle 20 can be developed as two parts or they can also be unitarily connected with one another.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0046] 10 Instrument [0047] 11 Distal end [0048] 12 Proximal end [0049] 14 First section [0050] 15 Second section [0051] 20 Handle [0052] 30 Blade [0053] 32 Cutting edge [0054] 40 Media that enhance ultrasound visibility [0055] 42 Base element [0056] 44 Indentation [0057] 44a First side surface [0058] 44b Second side surface [0059] 44c Third side surface [0060] 44d Base area [0061] 46 Connecting bracket [0062] 50 Blade holder [0063] 60 Threaded connection [0064] EK Plane of the blade [0065] EB Plane of the base element [0066] lB Longitudinal axis of the base element [0067] l1 First longitudinal axis [0068] l2 Second longitudinal axis [0069] Angle