US 12,478,366 B2
Disposable arthroscopic suture cutting device
Peter Miller, Largo, FL (US); and Andrew Muser, St. Pete Beach, FL (US)
Assigned to Conmed Corporation, Largo, FL (US)
Appl. No. 18/009,008
Filed by Conmed Corporation, Largo, FL (US)
PCT Filed Jun. 9, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/036582
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 8, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/252608, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/036,673, filed on Jun. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0210518 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 17/04 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/0467 (2013.01) [A61B 2017/0023 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A suture cutter, comprising:
a handle having a body and a lever integrally formed with the body so that the lever is biased to return to an initial position if the lever is moved from the initial position to an actuated position by a user,
a shaft coupled to and extending longitudinally from the handle;
a tip having a channel extending transversely across the tip that permits access to a cradle and a blade that is moveable within the tip between a retracted position and an extended position wherein the blade traverses the cradle;
a piston positioned within the handle and moveable longitudinally within the handle in response to movement of the lever;
a pusher interconnected to the blade and the piston so that movement of the lever from the initial position to the actuated position causes the blade to move from the retracted position to the extended position;
wherein the body includes a guide assembly having a pair of opposing members with a pair of corresponding opposing slots that align to form a guide for a head of the piston; and
wherein the pair of opposing members of the guide assembly are coupled together by a pair of living hinges.
 
2. The suture cutter of claim 1, wherein the piston includes a post that extends from the head of the piston to engage the lever.