Power operated rotary knife with disposable blade support assembly

摘要

A power operated rotary knife having a reusable handle assembly and disposable blade support assembly including a head portion and a blade support portion extending from the head portion, wherein upon completion of a tissue debriding operation on a donor, the used blade support assembly is removed from the handle assembly and disposed of, the handle assembly is autoclaved/sterilized and a new, sterilized blade support assembly is affixed to the handle assembly prior to a subsequent use. The knife includes an attachment assembly to releasably attach the disposable blade support assembly to the handle assembly and a retainer structure positioned in an annular groove formed in a bottom surface of the blade housing portion, the retainer structure bearing against an annular rotary knife blade and the blade housing portion to permanently retain an annular body section of the blade in the annular groove.

主权项

1. A method of debriding tissue utilizing a power operated rotary knife, the steps of the method comprising:
a) providing a power operated rotary knife having a handle assembly and a blade support assembly coupled to the handle assembly, the blade support assembly including: a blade housing portion including an annular ring and defining an annular groove in a bottom surface of the annular ring; an annular rotary knife blade supported for rotation within the annular groove of the blade housing portion, the blade having first and second axially spaced apart ends and an annular body extending therebetween, the annular body including a plurality of gear teeth at the first end and an annular blade section adjacent the second end; and a retainer securing and rotatably supporting the annular body of the knife blade within the annular groove, the retainer affixed within the annular groove and including an upper wall, a first plurality of tabs and a second plurality of tabs, wherein the first plurality of tabs contact a wall of the annular groove to permanently affix the retainer within the annular groove and further wherein the second plurality of tabs define a bearing race to rotatably support the annular body of the annular rotary knife blade; b) using the power operated rotary knife to trim a layer of tissue; and c) removing the trimmed layer of tissue.