Patent ID: 8523868

Claim:
A hand-held surgical cutting instrument for cutting bone material with a surgical micro-saw blade having a plurality of openings formed therein, the surgical cutting instrument, comprising: the surgical micro-saw blade; a hand-graspable body for manipulating the cutting instrument; a blade coupling mechanism attached to the body and being configured to attach to the surgical micro-saw blade, the blade coupling mechanism comprising: a first coupling member including a first blade-contacting surface, the first blade-contacting surface having at least one first protrusion rigidly fixed to and extending therefrom that is configured to engage a first opening in the surgical saw blade, and at least one first recess formed in the first blade contacting surface; a shaft extending from the first blade-contacting surface; and a second coupling member including a second blade-contacting surface facing the first blade-contacting surface of the first coupling member, the second blade-contacting surface having at least one second protrusion rigidly fixed to and extending therefrom that is configured to engage a second opening in the surgical saw blade, and at least one second recess formed in the second blade contacting surface, a sleeve defining at least a portion of the second coupling member configured to move relative to the shaft to selectively engage the surgical micro-saw blade, wherein the at least one first protrusion is not rigidly fixed to the second coupling member, and wherein the at least one second protrusion is not rigidly fixed to the first coupling member; wherein the surgical micro-saw blade is compressed at a first end between the first blade-contacting surface and the second blade-contacting surface, wherein the surgical micro-saw blade includes a cutting edge at a second end; wherein when compressed the at least one first protrusion extends past the surgical micro-saw blade via the first opening and is at least partially received in the at least one second recess and the at least one second protrusion extends past the surgical micro-saw blade via the second opening and is at least partially received in the at least one first recess; wherein when compressed the shaft extends past the surgical micro-saw blade and through a bore in the second coupling member.