Patent ID: 6080166
Filing Date: 2000-06-27
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A dermatome for cutting tissue comprising:a blade having a drive hole formed therein;a blade carrier having:attachment means for releasably attaching the blade to the blade carrier;drive pin means for engaging the drive hole with a pin member for transferring motion of the blade carrier to the blade, andthe blade carrier having a concave surface that is continuous with two substantially parallel sides that are spaced apart by a predetermined carrier distance;a rotational drive assembly comprisinga shaft having a substantially cylindrical shape and a shaft axis around which the shaft rotates, andan eccentric component attached to the shaft having a substantially cylindrical shape, a predetermined cylindrical diameter and an eccentric component axis aligned parallel to the shaft axis but displaced from the shaft axis by a predetermined eccentric distance, wherein the eccentric component engages the concave surface of the blade assembly and rotates around the eccentric component axis when the shaft rotates, and wherein the predetermined cylindrical diameter is substantially equivalent to the predetermined carrier distance; anda housing which engages the blade carrier to constrain the movement of any point on the blade carrier to bidirectional linear movement wherein the housing is adapted to define a space surrounding the rotational drive assembly, wherein the housing is further adapted so that the space surrounding the rotational drive assembly is enclosed as a result of the engagement of the housing and the blade carrier, and whereinthe blade carrier and the housing are further adapted so that the blade is attachable to the blade carrier while the enclosed space surrounding the rotational drive assembly is maintained by the housing in combination with the engaged blade carrier.