Patent ID: 8591523

Claim:
A surgical suture cutting instrument, comprising: a shaft; an articulating suture cutting mechanism disposed at the distal end of the shaft, the articulating cutting mechanism comprising a pair of cutting blades for holding and cutting sutures; a suture disposed within the articulating cutting mechanism; a handle extending from the shaft, the handle being provided with arms and a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism being manipulable by a user between a locked position and an unlocked position, and with a ratchet comprising a first member in communication with a second member, wherein the first member is provided with a first engagement element and the second member is provided with a second engagement element, the second engagement: element being located at about a mid point of the second member such that the handle can be locked in a predetermined locked mid point position, causing the articulating suture cutting mechanism to be disposed at a locked mid point position, wherein the locking mechanism, when in the locked position, holds the pair of cutting blades flush with the shaft but with space between them to allow the suture disposed within the cutting mechanism to be free to slide and not to be cut, and wherein, when the locking mechanism is released and the mechanism is in the unlocked position, which occurs automatically when the arms of the handle are brought together, the arms of the handle are free to move relative to each other, biased apart by a spring, to close or open the cutting blades to cut suture or open the jaws for suture loading, respectively; an actuating mechanism located on the handle, the actuating mechanism being movable into the predetermined locked mid point position in which an engagement element of one member fits into a notch of another member located at a predetermined position such that the handle is locked at the locked midpoint position and the suture disposed within the cutting mechanism is free to slide and not to be cut; and an actuating mechanism located on the handle, the actuating mechanism being movable into the predetermined locked mid point position in which an engagement element of one member fits into a notch of another member located at a predetermined position such that the handle is locked at the locked midpoint position and the suture disposed within the cutting mechanism is free to slide and not to be cut; and a rod or tube extending through the shaft and linking the articulating suture cutting mechanism to the handle.