Ultrasonic scalpel blade and methods of application

Claim 2

An ultrasonic scalpel blade comprising: a blade coupler having a longitudinally extending blade body defining a plane and a shank extending from said blade body including means for coupling with a source of ultrasonic energy and transmitting the energy to said blade body for vibration thereof longitudinally in said plane; said body having side edges and a tip opposite said shank, said side edges and said tip lying in said plane, one of said side edges having means defining a recess and a hook portion along said one side edge spaced from said tip for pulling and tensioning tissue as the blade is displaced along the tissue in a direction parallel to said shank, thereby facilitating cutting and coagulation of the tissue upon application of ultrasonic energy to the tissue, said hook portion being at least in part defined by said recess.

Claim 3

A blade according to claim 1 wherein said tip has a flat, non-sharpened end surface.

Claim 4

A blade according to claim 1 wherein said blade body has substantially solely arcuate edges along each of its opposite side edges and tip, in said plan the arcuate edges along said tip and the side edge opposite said one side edge being convex and said arcuate edge along said one side edge forming said recess being concave.

Claim 5

A blade according to claim 3 wherein said opposite side edges and said tip comprise flat, non-sharpened surfaces and said concave arcuate recessed edge comprises a sharpened edge.

Claim 6

A blade according to claim 3 wherein said blade body has opposite side faces, said concave arcuate recessed edge forming an angle as said edge extends from one side face toward the opposite side face.

Claim 7

A blade according to claim 1 wherein both of the side edges of said blade body extend laterally beyond the lateral extent of said shank.

Claim 8

A blade according to claim 1 wherein the opposite side edges of said blade body extend generally linearly from said shank, with said recess formed through a portion of said one side edge.

Claim 9

A blade according to claim 7 wherein the side edge opposite said one side edge includes an elongated sharpened edge.

Claim 10

A blade according to claim 8 wherein said opposite side edge is sharpened to form facets along opposite side faces thereof forming an included angle of about at least about 44°.

Claim 11

A blade according to claim 8 wherein said tip has a flat, linearly extending, non-sharpened end surface extending between said opposite side edges.

Claim 12

A blade according to claim 1 in combination with a handle and an ultrasonic power element carried by said handle, and means for transmitting ultrasonic energy from said power element to said blade.

Claim 13

A blade according to claim 1 wherein said body has generally flat side faces extending generally parallel to one another in said plane, said recess having a radius greater than the width of the blade body between said flat side faces thereof.

Claim 14

A blade body according to claim 1 wherein said recess along said one side edge is concave and extends generally for about 180° of arc.

Claim 15

A blade body according to claim 1 wherein said recess along said one side edge is concave, said hook portion projecting laterally outwardly beyond the confines of said shank.

Claim 16

A blade body according to claim 1 wherein said body has generally flat side faces extending generally parallel to one another in said plane, said recess having a radius greater than the width of the blade body between said flat side faces thereof, said recess along said one side edge being concave and extending generally for about 180° of arc, said hook portion projecting laterally outwardly beyond the confines of said shank.

Claim 17

An ultrasonic scalpel blade comprising: a blade coupler having a blade body and a shank extending from said blade body including means for coupling with a source of ultrasonic energy and transmitting the energy to said blade body; said body having side faces, side edges and a tip opposite said shank, at least one of said side edges having non-sharpened flat edge surfaces extending linearly between opposite side faces of said blade and in a direction generally normal to said side faces to facilitate coagulation of the tissue upon application of ultrasonic energy to the blade and ultrasonically coupling the blade and tissue as the blade is displaced along the tissue; and said tip having a flat, linearly extending, non-sharpened end surface extending between said opposite side edges.

Claim 18

An ultrasonic scalpel blade comprising: a blade coupler having a blade body and a shank extending from said blade body including means for coupling with a source of ultrasonic energy and transmitting the energy to said blade body; said body having side faces, side edges and a tip opposite said shank, at least one of said side edges having non-sharpened flat edge surfaces extending linearly between opposite side faces of said blade and in a direction generally normal to said side faces to facilitate coagulation of the tissue upon application of ultrasonic energy to the blade and ultrasonically coupling the blade and tissue as the blade is displaced along the tissue; and said tip having a flat, linearly extending, non-sharpened end surface extending between said opposite side edges.

Claim 19

An ultrasonic scalpel blade comprising: a blade coupler having a blade body and a shank extending from said blade body including means for coupling with a source of ultrasonic energy and transmitting the energy to said blade body; said body having side edges and a tip opposite said shank, one of said side edges having means defining a recess and a hook portion along said one side edge spaced from said tip for pulling and tensioning tissue as the blade is displaced along the tissue, said tip having a blunt surface to facilitate coupling of the blade to the tissue when ultrasonic energy is applied and transmitted to the blade body, whereby coagulation of the tissue upon application of ultrasonic energy to the tissue is facilitated.

Claim 20

An ultrasonic scalpel blade comprising: a blade coupler having a blade body and a shank extending from said blade body including means for coupling with a source of ultrasonic energy and transmitting the energy to said blade body; said body having side edges and a tip opposite said shank, one of said side edges having means defining a recess and a hook portion along said one side edge spaced from said tip for pulling and tensioning tissue as the blade is displaced along the tissue, said tip having a blunt surface to facilitate coupling of the blade to the tissue when ultrasonic energy is applied and transmitted to the blade body, whereby coagulation of the tissue upon application of ultrasonic energy to the tissue is facilitated.

Claim 21

A blade according to claim 17 wherein said blunt tip is substantially flat in a direction normal to a plane passing through said side edges and said shank.

Claim 22

An ultrasonic scalpel blade comprising: a blade coupler having a blade body and a shank extending from said blade body including means for coupling with a source of ultrasonic energy and transmitting the energy to said blade body; said body having side edges and a tip opposite said shank, one of said side edges having a recess formed therein and defining a hook portion along said one side edge spaced from said tip for pulling and tensioning tissue as the blade is displaced along the tissue in a direction parallel to said shank, thereby facilitating cutting and coagulation of the tissue upon application of ultrasonic energy to the tissue; said blade body having arcuate edges along each of its opposite side edges and tip, the arcuate edges along said tip and the side edge opposite said one side edge being convex and said arcuate edge along said one side edge forming said recess being concave; and said opposite side edges and said tip comprising flat, non-sharpened surfaces and said concave arcuate recessed edge comprising a sharpened edge.

Claim 23

An ultrasonic scalpel blade comprising: a blade coupler having a blade body and a shank extending from said blade body including means for coupling with a source of ultrasonic energy and transmitting the energy to said blade body; said body having side edges and a tip opposite said shank, one of said side edges having a recess formed therein and defining a hook portion along said one side edge spaced from said tip for pulling and tensioning tissue as the blade is displaced along the tissue in a direction parallel to said shank, thereby facilitating cutting and coagulation of the tissue upon application of ultrasonic energy to the tissue; said blade body having arcuate edges along each of its opposite side edges and tip, the arcuate edges along said tip and the side edge opposite said one side edge being convex and said arcuate edge along said one side edge forming said recess being concave; and said opposite side edges and said tip comprising flat, non-sharpened surfaces and said concave arcuate recessed edge comprising a sharpened edge.

Claim 24

An ultrasonic scalpel blade comprising: a blade coupler having a blade body and a shank extending from said blade body including means for coupling with a source of ultrasonic energy and transmitting the energy to said blade body; said body having side edges and a tip opposite said shank, one of said side edges having a recess formed therein and defining a hook portion along said one side edge spaced from said tip for pulling and tensioning tissue as the blade is displaced along the tissue in a direction parallel to said shank, thereby facilitating cutting and coagulation of the tissue upon application of ultrasonic energy to the tissue; said blade body having arcuate edges along each of its opposite side edges and tip, the arcuate edges along said tip and the side edge opposite said one side edge being convex and said arcuate edge along said one side edge forming said recess being concave; and said blade body having opposite side faces, said concave arcuate recessed edge forming an angle as said edge extends from one side face toward the opposite side face.

Claim 25

An ultrasonic scalpel blade comprising: a blade coupler having a blade body and a shank extending from said blade body including means for coupling with a source of ultrasonic energy and transmitting the energy to said blade body; said body having side edges and a tip opposite said shank, one of said side edges having a recess formed therein and defining a hook portion along said one side edge spaced from said tip for pulling and tensioning tissue as the blade is displaced along the tissue in a direction parallel to said shank, thereby facilitating cutting and coagulation of the tissue upon application of ultrasonic energy to the tissue; said blade body having arcuate edges along each of its opposite side edges and tip, the arcuate edges along said tip and the side edge opposite said one side edge being convex and said arcuate edge along said one side edge forming said recess being concave; and said blade body having opposite side faces, said concave arcuate recessed edge forming an angle as said edge extends from one side face toward the opposite side face.

Claim 26

A blade according to claim 20 wherein said angle is about 30°.

Claim 27

A blade according to claim 20 wherein said angle is about 50°.

Claim 28

A blade according to claim 20 wherein said angle lies within a range of 30°-70°.

Claim 29

An ultrasonic scalpel blade comprising: a blade coupler having a blade body and a shank extending from said blade body including means for coupling with a source of ultrasonic energy and transmitting the energy to said blade body; said body having side edges and a tip opposite said shank, one of said side edges having a recess formed therein and defining a hook portion along said one side edge spaced from said tip for pulling and tensioning tissue as the blade is displaced along the tissue in a direction parallel to said shank, thereby facilitating cutting and coagulation of the tissue upon application of ultrasonic energy to the tissue; said opposite side edges of said blade body extending generally linearly from said shank, with said recess formed through a portion of said one side edge; said side edge opposite said one side edge including an elongated sharpened edge; and said opposite side edge being sharpened to form facets along opposite side faces thereof forming an included angle of about at least 44°.

Claim 30

An ultrasonic scalpel blade comprising: a blade coupler having a blade body and a shank extending from said blade body including means for coupling with a source of ultrasonic energy and transmitting the energy to said blade body; said body having side edges and a tip opposite said shank, one of said side edges having a recess formed therein and defining a hook portion along said one side edge spaced from said tip for pulling and tensioning tissue as the blade is displaced along the tissue in a direction parallel to said shank, thereby facilitating cutting and coagulation of the tissue upon application of ultrasonic energy to the tissue; said opposite side edges of said blade body extending generally linearly from said shank, with said recess formed through a portion of said one side edge; said side edge opposite said one side edge including an elongated sharpened edge; and said opposite side edge being sharpened to form facets along opposite side faces thereof forming an included angle of about at least 44°.