Patent ID: 7000321

Claim:
An animal nail clipper, comprising: at least one blade for cutting an animal nail; at least one optical source for illuminating a portion of the animal nail; at least one optical sensor for receiving light from the illuminated portion of the animal nail and generating a signal therefrom; a processor operatively coupled to the optical sensor for generating a signal level from the optical sensor signal and for differentiating between a quick signal level range and a nail signal level range, a signal level in the quick signal level range arising from an illuminated living tissue-containing portion of the animal nail, a signal level in the nail signal level range arising from an illuminated portion of the nail substantially devoid of living tissue; and an indicator operatively coupled to the processor for informing a user of the clipper whether the signal level is within the quick signal level range or the nail signal level range, illuminating by the optical source and collecting of light for receiving by the optical sensor occurring at a position relative to the blade so that when the signal level is within the nail signal level range and the clipper is actuated to cut the nail, cutting of the living-tissue-containing portion of the animal nail is substantially avoided.