Suture cutter, extractor and method to cut and remove sutures

Claim 2

Apparatus for cutting and extracting a suture, comprising: a longitudinally extending body; a handle extending from an end of said body; a pair of curvilinear tine means extending from the other end of said body, and curving outwardly upwardly above a plane through the handle and the longitudinal axis of said body, the tine means having blunt innermost edges and rounded free ends insertable under the suture, wherein the tine means are of unequal length, the longer tine longer of said tine means being adapted for insertion under the suture, and the tine means having rounded free ends with blunt edges to avoid injuring a patient; a slot between the tine means open at the free ends thereof to admit and receive the suture when one of said free ends is inserted thereunder, said slot having converging edges defined by said innermost edges of said tine means and a closed end at the body to snare and retain a knot in said suture; and a cutting edge disposed along a portion of an outermost side edge of at least one of said tine means adjacent the closed end of the slot, whereby rotation of the body about the knot in the suture engages the cutting edge with the suture for severing the suture which is then removed by lifting the knot in said suture snared and retained in the closed end of said slot.

Claim 3

Apparatus for cutting and extracting a suture, comprising: a longitudinally extending body; a handle extending from an end of said body; a pair of tine means extending from the other end of said body, the tine means having blunt innermost edges and free ends insertable under the suture; a slot between the tine means open at the free ends thereof to admit and receive the suture when one of said free ends is inserted thereunder, said slot having converging edges defined by said innermost edges of said tine means and a closed end at the body to snare and retain a knot in said suture; a cutting edge disposed along a portion of an outermost side edge of at least one of said tine means adjacent the closed end of the slot, whereby rotation of the body about the knot in the suture engages the cutting edge with the suture for severing the suture which is then removed by lifting the knot in said suture snared and retained in the closed end of said slot; said cutting edge comprising a replaceable blade removably attached to a neck portion of the body intermediate the closed slot end and said body, the blade being made from a material especially adapted to receive and retain a sharp edge; said neck portion comprising side walls defining a substantially flat region immediately adjacent the closed slot end of the tine means; and a shallow groove in one side wall formed transversely of the long axis of the flat region and at least partially thereacross, the groove being adapted to frictionally engage and retain said blade.

Claim 4

Apparatus for cutting and extracting a suture, comprising: a longitudinally extending body; a handle extending from an end of said body; a pair of tine means extending from the other end of said body, the tine means having blunt innermost edges and free ends insertable under the suture; a slot between the tine means open at the free ends thereof to admit and receive the suture when one of said free ends is inserted thereunder, said slot having converging edges defined by said innermost edges of said tine means and a closed end at the body to snare and retain a knot in said suture; a cutting edge disposed along a portion of an outermost side edge of at least one of said tine means adjacent the closed end of the slot, whereby rotation of the body about the knot in the suture engages the cutting edge with the suture for severing the suture which is then removed by lifting the knot in said suture snared and retained in the closed end of said slot; said cutting edge comprising a replaceable blade removably attached to a neck portion of the body intermediate the closed slot end and said body, the blade being made from a material especially adapted to receive and retain a sharp edge; said neck portion comprising side walls defining a substantially flat region immediately adjacent the closed slot end of the tine means; and a shallow groove in one side wall formed transversely of the long axis of the flat region and at least partially thereacross, the groove being adapted to frictionally engage and retain said blade.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shallow groove is defined by sloping, undercut side walls and a convexly curviplanar bottom wall having a narrow groove formed therein.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the replaceable blade includes side edges frictionally engageable with the undercut side walls, a bottom surface frictionally engageable with the convex surface of said bottom wall and an aperture adjacent one end of the blade and alignable with said narrow groove.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in 4, wherein the shallow groove completely traverses the flat region, the narrow groove partially traverses the flat region and the blade includes a pair of oppositely facing cutting edges disposed along respective portions of the outermost side edges of both tines.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said body and tines are fabricated from polycarbonate plastic.

Claim 11

A method as claimed in claim 7 comprising the further step of extracting the suture by lifting the knotted end.