Surgical bur with a single cutting flute

1. A bur for performing a medical/surgical procedure, said bur including:

an elongated shaft having opposed proximal and distal ends, a longitudinal axis that extends proximally to distally through the shaft, and geometric features adjacent the proximal end of the shaft that facilitate the coupling of the shaft to a surgical handpiece so that the handpiece can rotate the shaft; and

a head attached to the distal end of the shaft, said head is shaped to define a single cutting flute, said flute having a rake surface with opposed longitudinal sides wherein one side is defined by a cutting edge and the opposed side by a recess edge that extends proximally from the tip and is further shaped so that, in at least one plane perpendicular an extension of the shaft longitudinal axis, the cutting edge is located a first distance from the extension of the shaft longitudinal axis and the recess edge is located a second distance from the extension of the shaft longitudinal axis, the second distance being less than the first distance;

wherein said head is further formed so as to have a clearance surface that is opposite the rake surface and a majority of the clearance surface is parallel with the rake surface.

2. The bur of claim 1 , wherein at least the portion of the rake surface that defines the cutting edge is planar.

3. The bur of claim 1 , wherein at least a section of the rake surface that extends between the cutting edge and the recess edge is planar and is in a plane through which the longitudinal axis through the shaft extends or that is parallel to the longitudinal axis through the shaft.

4. The bur of claim 3 , wherein the majority of the rake surface is planar between the cutting edge and the recess edge of the flute.

5. The bur of claim 1 , wherein said head is further formed so as to have a clearance surface that is opposite the rake surface.

6. The bur of claim 5 , wherein the head is further formed so that:

a relief surface extends from the rake surface, the intersection of the rake surface and the relief surface defining the cutting edge of the flute; and

the clearance surface extends from an end of the relief surface that is spaced from the rake surface towards the recess edge.

7. The bur of claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the clearance surface is parallel with an opposed portion of the rake surface.

8. The bur of claim 1 , wherein:

said head is further formed so as to have a clearance surface that is opposite the rake surface;

a relief surface extends from the rake surface and an intersection of the rake surface and the relief surface defines the cutting edge of the flute; and

a recess surface extends away from the relief surface, the intersection of the rake surface and the recess surface defining the recess edge of the flute; and

the clearance surface extends from an end of the recess surface that is spaced from the rake surface towards the relief surface.

9. The bur of claim 8 , wherein at least one rib extends outwardly from the recess surface of the bur head, said at least one rib extending outwardly from the extension of the shaft longitudinal axis a distance no greater than the distance the cutting edge extends outwardly from the extension of the shaft longitudinal axis.

10. The bur of claim 1 , wherein:

said head is further formed so as to have a clearance surface that is opposite the rake surface and the clearance surface extends to the end of the rake surface spaced away from the cutting edge so that an intersection of the rake surface and the clearance surface form the recess edge.

11. The bur of claim 1 , wherein:

said head is further formed to have a clearance surface that is opposite the rake surface; and

said head is located on said shaft so that the rake surface and the clearance surface are located on opposed sides of the extension of the shaft longitudinal axis.

12. The bur of claim 1 , wherein said head is located relative to the shaft so that an extension of said shaft longitudinal axis of the shaft extends along the rake surface.

13. The bur of claim 1 , wherein said head is further formed so that the cutting edge and the recess edge are located on opposed sides of the extension of the shaft longitudinal axis.

14. The bur of claim 1 , wherein said head has a concaveoconvex profile such that rake surface has a concave profile and the opposed surface has a convex profile.

15. The bur of claim 1 , wherein along the entire length of said head the cutting edge is spaced further from the longitudinal axis of the shaft than the recess edge.

16. The bur of claim 1 , wherein said head has a shape selected from the group consisting of: elliptically shaped; round; acorn shaped; pear shaped; paddle shaped; or arrow shaped.

17. The bur of claim 1 , wherein the geometric features adjacent the proximal end of the shaft that facilitate the coupling of the shaft to a surgical handpiece are from the group consisting of: an indentation formed in the shaft; and the shaft being dimensioned to be held by chuck jaws.

18. The bur of claim 1 , wherein the head is shaped so that the tip is a distal edge that is perpendicular to the extension of the shaft longitudinal axis.

19. The bur of claim 1 , wherein the head is arrow shaped so that, as the cutting edge tip and recess edge extend distally away from the shaft, the cutting edge and the recess edge extend linearly inwardly towards the tip.

20. The bur of claim 1 , wherein the head is located relative to the shaft so that the tip is spaced away from the extension of the shaft longitudinal axis.

21. The bur of claim 1 , wherein the head is located relative to the shaft so the tip is located on the extension of the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

22. The bur of claim 1 , wherein the head is further shaped so that, as the recess edge extends proximally from the tip, the recess edge curves outwardly as to have a convex shape.

23. The bur of claim 1 , wherein the shaft coupling features are surfaces that are recessed relative to the outer surface of the shaft.