Surgical scalpel safety blade

A surgical scalpel blade made safer by providing, on the front portion thereof, a blunted surface or tip which renders the point of the blade incapable of cutting, without impeding the ability of the blade to be drawn across the surface to be incised.

Retractable-bladed surgical scalpel

A surgical scalpel having a replacable, retractable cutting blade which may be locked in the operating or deployed position using a single digit on one hand is described. Safety of hospital personnel and medical waste disposal personnel is achieved without loss of function or convenience of the scalpel.

Guarded surgical scalpel

A surgical scalpel (100) is provided with a retractable guard (107) for its cutting blade (106). The guard (107) is mounted on the handle (101) of the scalpel (100) for sliding movement between an advanced position in which the blade (106) is covered and a retracted position in which the blade (106) is exposed. The guard (107) may be moved with one hand, and without requiring the surgeon, nurse and/or assistant to take his or her eyes away from the patient or the instrumentation during a surgical procedure. A two-position resiliently-biased manually-releasable detent means (113) is provided between the handle (101) and the guard (107). A closed longitudinal slot (122, 123) on the guard (107) cooperates with a pin (121) on the handle (101) to limit the sliding movement of the guard (107) independently of the detent action therebetween and accommodates the mechanical loading forces. Preferably, the guard (107) comprises an inverted U-shaped channel member telescopically mounted within the hollow handle (101) for sliding movement therein.