Patent Description:
A scalpel may be used in applications including but not limited to arts and crafts, dissection and surgery. The scalpel may include a handle and a blade received therein. The handle may have indentations thereon and may have a thickness comparable to the thickness of the blade. During use of the scalpel, the user may find that the scalpel slips from a hand thereof.

<CIT> discloses surgical tool including a handle having a channel, a tracheal hook connected to the handle, and a scalpel positioned in the channel of the handle. The tracheal hook and/or the scalpel are removably attached to the handle.

<CIT> discloses an ergonomic handle for precision, surgical, and dental tools including electro-surgical devices and surgical devices used in microsurgery designed to facilitate the positioning of the user's hand grip comprising a longitudinally extending body substantially oval in cross-section and being provided with four, substantially concave indentations positioned towards the proximal end of the handle.

<CIT> discloses various embodiments of a dural elevating and cutting apparatus and methods of use.

Disclosed are a device, a system and/or a method of a handle design of a scalpel for stable operation thereof.

In one aspect, a scalpel handle includes a receiving member to receive a blade therethrough and a main portion coupled to the receiving member. The main portion has a number of indentations on both a first surface and a second surface thereof. The indentations are evenly spaced between one another and the number of indentations extends from a first end proximate the receiving member along a first length of the main portion across an entire width thereof. The first length is at least two-thirds of a second length of an entirety of the main portion. The width of the main portion is at least five times a maximum width of the receiving member. A thickness of the main portion is at least <NUM> times a maximum thickness of the receiving member. All outer surfaces of the main portion including the first surface and the second surface are convex in shape around edges thereof.

In another aspect, a scalpel includes a blade and a handle. The handle includes a receiving member receiving the blade therethrough and a main portion coupled to the receiving member. The main portion has a number of indentations on both a first surface and a second surface thereof. The indentations of the number of indentations are evenly spaced between one another and the number of indentations extends from a first end proximate the receiving member along a first length of the main portion across an entire width thereof. The first length is at least two-thirds of a second length of an entirety of the main portion. The width of the main portion is at least five times a maximum width of the receiving member. A thickness of the main portion is at least <NUM> times a maximum thickness of the receiving member. All outer surfaces of the main portion including the first surface and the second surface are convex in shape around edges thereof.

In yet another aspect, a scalpel handle includes a receiving member to receive a blade therethrough and a main portion coupled to the receiving member. The main portion has a number of indentations on both a first surface and a second surface thereof. The indentations of the number of indentations are evenly spaced between one another and the number of indentations extends from a first end proximate the receiving member along a first length of the main portion across an entire width thereof. The first length is at least two-thirds of a second length of an entirety of the main portion. The width of the main portion is at least five times a maximum width of the receiving member. A thickness of the main portion is at least <NUM> times a maximum thickness of the receiving member. All outer surfaces of the main portion including the first surface and the second surface are convex in shape around edges thereof. The width of the main portion tapers from a second end thereof farthest away from the receiving member to a third end thereof closest to the receiving member, with the third end being proximate the first end and the width of the main portion at the third end still being at least five times the maximum width of the receiving member.

The methods and systems disclosed herein may be implemented in any means for achieving various aspects. Other features will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.

Example embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:.

Other features of the present embodiments will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.

Example embodiments, as described below, may be used to realize a handle design of a scalpel for stable operation thereof. It will be appreciated that the various embodiments discussed herein need not necessarily belong to the same group of exemplary embodiments, and may be grouped into various other embodiments not explicitly disclosed herein. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments.

<FIG> shows a scalpel <NUM> in accordance with a traditional implementation. Scalpel <NUM>, as discussed herein, may used in a lot of applications including but not limited to arts and crafts, dissection and surgery. Scalpel <NUM> may include a handle <NUM> and a blade <NUM>. Blade <NUM> may be replaceable such that handle <NUM> may be reused with a replacement blade <NUM>. Blade <NUM> may, for example, be made of stainless steel and handle <NUM> may be made of plastic or stainless steel. While a length of blade <NUM> may typically be lesser than a length of a main portion <NUM> of handle <NUM>, main portion <NUM> may have a number of indentations <NUM><NUM>-N on each of a surface <NUM> and a surface <NUM> of main portion <NUM> along a length thereof; these indentations <NUM><NUM>-N may evenly spaced between one another such that a length of an entirety of the number of indentations <NUM><NUM>-N may be much less than half the length of main portion <NUM>. Main portion <NUM> of handle <NUM> may be understood as handle <NUM> excluding a receiving member <NUM> thereof. Receiving member <NUM> of handle <NUM> may enable reception of blade <NUM> therewithin.

<FIG> shows a top view of scalpel <NUM>. Here, scalpel <NUM> may be placed on a base surface <NUM> by way of sharp edges thereof such that surface <NUM> and surface <NUM> may be perpendicular to base surface <NUM>. As seen in <FIG>, a thickness of main portion <NUM> corresponding to a shortest distance between a non-indented portion of surface <NUM> and a non-indented portion of surface <NUM> may be comparable to a thickness of blade <NUM>. This may render edges of main portion <NUM> sharp such that a user <NUM> rotating main portion <NUM> of handle <NUM> of scalpel <NUM> in a hand thereof during use of scalpel <NUM> may find said edges providing too small an area for stable movement of main portion <NUM>, thereby making it difficult to handle scalpel <NUM>. <FIG> shows a pen grip <NUM> hold by user <NUM> of scalpel <NUM>, where an index finger <NUM> of a hand <NUM> of user <NUM> rests on top of the thickness of main portion <NUM> and a middle finger <NUM> and a thumb <NUM> of hand <NUM> of user <NUM> hold main portion <NUM> on surface <NUM> and surface <NUM> respectively.

<FIG> also shows a palm grip <NUM> hold by user <NUM> of scalpel <NUM> when a task to be accomplished through scalpel <NUM> requires more strength on part of user <NUM>. Here, user <NUM> may hold main portion <NUM> in a palm of hand <NUM> thereof with all fingers thereof except thumb <NUM> closed over main portion <NUM>; thumb <NUM> may rest on an outer edge of main portion <NUM> that offers very less surface area. The difficulties associated with rotation of main portion <NUM> of handle <NUM>/scalpel <NUM> within hand <NUM> of user <NUM> may not be the only ones posed; the length of main portion <NUM>, the small length of the number of indentations <NUM><NUM>-N thereon and the small surface area of the edges due to sharpness thereof may apply a lot of pressure on the fingers of hand <NUM> of user <NUM>.

Thus, in the typical implementation of scalpel <NUM>, not only may the length of main portion <NUM> serve as an inconvenience to a user <NUM> with long fingers and a long hand <NUM> to whom a longer main portion <NUM> would be preferable but also the small length of the number of indentations <NUM><NUM>-N, the sharp edges of main portion <NUM> and the small thickness of main portion <NUM> may serve to manifest instability of scalpel <NUM> with respect to performing tasks associated therewith. When user <NUM> has a large hand <NUM> and long fingers, the small length of the number of indentations <NUM><NUM>-N, the short length of main portion <NUM>, the sharp edges of main portion <NUM> and/or the small thickness of main portion <NUM> may serve to frustrate user <NUM> during use of scalpel <NUM> and/or may cause slippage thereof.

<FIG> shows a scalpel <NUM> that serves to solve problems associated with scalpel <NUM>, according to one or more embodiments. Although exemplary embodiments may preferentially be employed in medical/surgical applications, other uses are within the scope of the exemplary embodiments discussed herein. As seen above, in one or more embodiments, scalpel <NUM> may include a handle <NUM> receiving a blade <NUM> therewithin. In one or more embodiments, blade <NUM> may be removable from handle <NUM> and replaceable, and handle <NUM> may be reusable. Again, in one or more embodiments, handle <NUM> may be made of stainless steel or plastic and blade <NUM> may be made of stainless steel. Other materials are within the scope of the exemplary embodiments discussed herein.

In one or more embodiments, handle <NUM> may include a main portion <NUM> that is handle <NUM> excluding a blade receiving member (to be discussed). In one or more embodiments, main portion <NUM> may be the portion of handle <NUM> that user <NUM> contacts with hand <NUM> during use of scalpel <NUM>. In one or more embodiments, a length <NUM> of main portion <NUM> may have a number of indentations <NUM><NUM>-M, each of which extends across an entire width <NUM> of main portion <NUM>. Again, in one or more embodiments, indentations <NUM><NUM>-M may be provided on each surface (<NUM>, <NUM>) of main portion <NUM> along length <NUM>. In one or more embodiments, indentations <NUM><NUM>-M may be evenly spaced between one another such that the number of indentations <NUM><NUM>-M may extend from an end <NUM> of main portion <NUM> proximate an end <NUM> closest to blade <NUM> (or receiving member thereof) to a length <NUM> that is at least two-thirds of length <NUM> of main portion <NUM>.

In one or more embodiments, handle <NUM> may include a receiving member <NUM> to receive blade <NUM> therewithin. In some embodiments, receiving member <NUM> may be removably coupled (e.g., connected) to main portion <NUM> and, in some other embodiments, receiving member <NUM> may be an extension of main portion <NUM>. <FIG> also shows an angled shoulder <NUM> of main portion <NUM> at end <NUM> closest to blade <NUM> (or receiving member <NUM>) in a state of reception thereof. In one example embodiment, the angle made by angled shoulder <NUM> with respect to a length of handle <NUM> may be approximately <NUM>-<NUM>°. In one or more embodiments, a maximum width <NUM> of receiving member <NUM> may be at least five times less than width <NUM> of main portion <NUM>. In some embodiments, width <NUM> of main portion <NUM> may be varying and may be smallest at end <NUM> closest to blade <NUM> (or receiving member <NUM>) and longest at an end <NUM> farthest from blade <NUM> (or receiving member <NUM>) in the state of reception thereof. Main portion <NUM> with equal width <NUM> across an entire length <NUM> thereof may also be within the scope of the exemplary embodiments discussed herein.

In other words, width <NUM> of main portion <NUM> may taper from end <NUM> to end <NUM>. In one or more embodiments, the smallest width <NUM> of main portion <NUM> at end <NUM> closest to blade <NUM> (or receiving member <NUM>) may still be at least five times more than a maximum width (e.g., width <NUM>) of receiving member <NUM>. <FIG> shows a top view of scalpel <NUM>, according to one or more embodiments. In one or more embodiments, including outer edges of indentations <NUM><NUM>-M, a thickness <NUM> of main portion <NUM> at a top <NUM> thereof may be more than a thickness <NUM> of main portion <NUM> at a bottom <NUM> thereof. In one or more embodiments, thickness <NUM> and thickness <NUM> may be along a dimension perpendicular to both length <NUM> and width <NUM>. In one or more embodiments, thickness <NUM> at top <NUM> may provide a surface to rest index finger <NUM> of hand <NUM> of user <NUM> during use of scalpel <NUM>.

As seen in <FIG>, receiving member <NUM> may have a groove <NUM> along a length thereof through which blade <NUM> is slid, according to one or more embodiments. In one or more embodiments, receiving member <NUM> may also have a locking notch <NUM> proximate end <NUM> to enable receiving member <NUM> wrap around and lock onto blade <NUM>. <FIG> shows scalpel <NUM> with blade <NUM> connected thereto, according to one or more embodiments. In one or more embodiments, a maximum thickness <NUM> of receiving member <NUM> may be at least <NUM> times less than thickness <NUM>/<NUM> of main portion <NUM>.

Further, as seen in <FIG>, outer edges (<NUM>, <NUM>) of main portion <NUM> at end <NUM> and on top <NUM> (thickness <NUM>) and bottom <NUM> (thickness <NUM>) thereof may be convex without sharp edges, according to one or more embodiments. In other words, in one or more embodiments, all outer surfaces of main portion <NUM> including surface <NUM> and surface <NUM> are convex in shape around edges (e.g., outer edge <NUM>, outer edge <NUM>) thereof. In one or more embodiments, this, in conjunction with flat surfaces provided along length <NUM> and width <NUM> of main portion <NUM>, may provide for less pressure applied to fingers of hand <NUM> of user <NUM> during performance of tasks using scalpel <NUM>. Further, in one or more embodiments, the anti-slippage characteristics of indentations <NUM><NUM>-M may enable user <NUM> to have a good grip of main portion <NUM>. In one or more embodiments, as the total length <NUM> of these evenly spaced indentations <NUM><NUM>-M is higher than the corresponding length in scalpel <NUM>, a user <NUM> with a longer hand <NUM>/fingers thereof may find it easier to hold main portion <NUM> and rotate main portion <NUM> within hand <NUM> during the course of performing tasks with scalpel <NUM>.

In one or more embodiments, handle <NUM> may be manufactured with longer main portion <NUM> such that length <NUM> may appropriately scale with length <NUM>. As seen above, in one or more embodiments, length <NUM> may be at least two-thirds of length <NUM>. In one or more embodiments, longer length <NUM> and, therefore, longer length <NUM> may enable user <NUM> to grip main portion <NUM> across a longer distance without slippage.

In one example implementation, length <NUM> of main portion <NUM> may be ~<NUM>-<NUM> and length <NUM> of the number of indentations <NUM><NUM>-M may be ~ <NUM>-<NUM>; thus, length <NUM> may be more than two-thirds of length <NUM>. Here, width <NUM> of main portion <NUM> may vary from -<NUM>-<NUM> at end <NUM> and -<NUM>-<NUM> at end <NUM>, and (maximum) width <NUM> of receiving member <NUM> may be -<NUM>-<NUM>; thus, width <NUM> may always be at least five times more than (maximum) width <NUM> of receiving member <NUM>. Also, thickness <NUM> may be -<NUM>-<NUM> and thickness <NUM> may be -<NUM>-<NUM>, and maximum thickness <NUM> of receiving member <NUM> may be -<NUM>-<NUM>; thus, thickness (<NUM>, <NUM>) may be at least <NUM> times maximum thickness <NUM> of receiving member <NUM>. Other numbers based on the aforementioned ratios are also within the scope of the exemplary embodiments discussed herein.

<FIG> shows a bottom view of handle <NUM> of scalpel <NUM> and <FIG> shows a perspective view of handle <NUM> of scalpel <NUM>, according to one or more embodiments. As seen above, main portion <NUM> may enable increased comfort of user <NUM> during both a pen grip (analogous to pen grip <NUM>) hold and a palm grip hold (analogous to palm grip <NUM>) thereof at least because of the convex outer edges (<NUM>, <NUM>), increased thickness (<NUM>, <NUM>) and more length <NUM> of indentations <NUM><NUM>-M compared to analogues in main portion <NUM> of handle <NUM> of scalpel <NUM>, according to one or more embodiments.

It should be noted that, although discussions associated with exemplary embodiments are directed toward convenience of user <NUM> with long hand <NUM> and/or fingers thereof, the relative dimensionalities of length <NUM> and length <NUM>, width <NUM> and (maximum) width <NUM>, and thickness (<NUM>, <NUM>) and maximum thickness <NUM> render concepts discussed herein applicable to convenience of user <NUM> with any length of hand <NUM> and/or fingers thereof. All reasonable variations are within the scope of the exemplary embodiments discussed herein.

Claim 1:
A scalpel handle (<NUM>) comprising:
a receiving member (<NUM>) configured to receive a blade (<NUM>) therethrough, wherein the scalpel handle comprises:
a main portion (<NUM>) coupled to the receiving member (<NUM>), the main portion having a plurality of indentations (<NUM><NUM>-M) on both a first surface (<NUM>) and a second surface (<NUM>) thereof, each indentation of the plurality of indentations being evenly spaced from each adjacent indentation and the plurality of indentations extending continuously from a first end (<NUM>) of the main portion (<NUM>) proximate the receiving member (<NUM>) and a projection of the first end (<NUM>) on the main portion (<NUM>) along a first length (<NUM>) of the main portion across an entire width (<NUM>) thereof, the first length being at least two-thirds of a second length (<NUM>) of an entirety of the main portion (<NUM>) but less than the second length (<NUM>), the width of the main portion being at least five times a maximum width (<NUM>) of the receiving member, and a thickness (<NUM>, <NUM>) of the main portion being at least <NUM> times a maximum thickness (<NUM>) of the receiving member,
wherein the main portion (<NUM>) comprises a second end (<NUM>) farthest away from the receiving member (<NUM>) and a third end (<NUM>) closest to the receiving member (<NUM>), the third end (<NUM>) also being proximate the first end (<NUM>),
wherein all outer surfaces of the main portion including the first surface and the second surface are convex in shape around edges (<NUM>, <NUM>) thereof,
wherein the receiving member (<NUM>) is provided such that the blade (<NUM>) received therewithin extends from a position external to the scalpel handle (<NUM>) to a position proximate the first end (<NUM>) and the third end (<NUM>), and an entirety of the blade (<NUM>) is always external to the main portion (<NUM>) of the scalpel handle (<NUM>), and
wherein the main portion (<NUM>) further comprises an angled shoulder (<NUM>) extending across the projection of the first end (<NUM>) on the main portion (<NUM>) and the third end (<NUM>) such that the angled shoulder (<NUM>) serves as a structural boundary of the main portion (<NUM>) at the third end (<NUM>) and the projection of the first end (<NUM>).