Surgical Safety Knife With One-Handed Shield Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical safety knives require two hands to operate the shield mechanism or have release features in the grip area, complicating single-handed use and increasing the risk of inadvertent shielding or exposure of the blade.
Innovation Solution
A surgical safety knife design with a handle featuring notches and a pivotally connected lever allows one-handed operation of the shield, enabling it to move between exposed and covered positions without disrupting the grip, using a separate lever mechanism to release the shield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the shield is retained in a locked safety position, then blade safety is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional locking mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The shield mechanism is segmented into a shield body and a separate lever component. The lever can be independently actuated to release the shield from its locked position, simplifying the overall locking mechanism while maintaining safety. The shield includes a shield body and a lever, where the lever is pivotally connected to the shield body and can be independently actuated to release the shield from its locked position.
Solution Approach 2:
The release function is extracted from the grip area and relocated to the distal portion of the handle. This separates the shielding function from the gripping function, reducing complexity in the grip area while maintaining blade safety through the dedicated lever mechanism on the distal portion.
2Reliability
If release features are located in the grip area, then two-handed operation is enabled, but single-handed operation becomes difficult and grip manipulation is required
Solution Approach 1:
The release feature is extracted from the grip area and relocated to the distal portion of the handle. This allows the surgeon to operate the shield release with one hand while maintaining a secure grip on the handle, eliminating the need to manipulate the handle about release features in the grip area.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever on the distal portion acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user's finger and the shield locking system. By providing a dedicated lever in the distal portion, the system mediates the release action separately from the grip, enabling easy one-handed operation while maintaining grip stability.
3Reliability
If the shield is fully advanced to cover the blade, then post-use safety is improved, but blade accessibility during use is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is designed to be dynamically positionable along the handle, allowing it to be advanced to fully cover the blade for post-use safety or retracted to expose the blade during use. The shield's position can be adjusted by actuating the lever mechanism, enabling the system to transition between safe and accessible states as needed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates safe and efficient one-handed operation of the shield, preventing inadvertent blade exposure during use and enhancing user safety by allowing seamless transition between blade exposure and coverage.
Implementation Method 1
a lever pivotally coupled to the main body, the main body being in contact with the distal portion of the handle, the lever being pivotally connected to the main body so as to be pivotally displaceable relative to the main body between an undisplaced state and a displaced state
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a surgical safety knife is provided with an elongated handle with first and second notches, spaced apart along the length thereof; a blade extending distally from the distal portion; and, a shield moveable along the handle between a first position, where the blade is exposed, to a second position, where the shield fully covers the blade, wherein, the shield includes a main body and a lever pivotally coupled to the main body, wherein, a tab is provided on the lever formed to be selectively snap received within the first notch and the second notch with the lever being in an undisplaced state, wherein, with the tab being received in the first notch, the shield is retained in the first position, and, wherein, displacement of the lever to the displaced state results in the tab being freed from the first notch to release the shield.