Apparatus for detaching surgical blades

Abstract

An apparatus for detaching a blade from a scalpel handle is provided. The blade has a cutting portion and a heel portion and is removably mounted on a tang of the scalpel handle. The apparatus has a flexible blade detachment member with a stepped portion for engaging the heel of the blade as the handle is withdrawn and a leading angled portion. A backing member is provided with the detachment member being arranged adjacent the backing member so that during use the detachment member flexes in only one direction, away from the mounting tang in response to force applied by the handle to the leading angled portion thereby causing the blade and the handle to be separated and detached relative to each other. Upon withdrawing the tang from the opening, the stepped portion engages the heel of theblade resulting in detachment of the blade from the tang.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates generally to devices, apparatus, tools and systems for removing used disposable surgical scalpel blades from scalpel handles and for safely disposing of such contaminated blade. Background technique [0002] Any reference to a method, device or document of prior art is not to be considered as any evidence or admission that such method, device or document forms part of the common general knowledge. [0003] As is well known, modern surgical scalpel blades are disposable and are designed to fit over a reusable handle to form a scalpel. figure 1 and Figure 1A A commercially available scalpel 50 comprising a reusable handle 10 and disposable blade 20 is shown. Surgical blade 20 comprises a sharp point 22, cutting edge 24 and a shank 23, wherein cutting edge 24 is positioned at the front portion of blade, and shank 23 extends to the rear portion 21 of blade 20, and the rear portion 21 of this blade 20 forms blade 20 of the...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Containing a large number of moving parts can make the tooling process difficult

Another type of blade removal tool is described in International Patent Publication No. WO2004093706A1, however this tool described in International Patent Publication No. WO2004093706A1 is specifically designed to remove only one blade and then it cannot be used again, so , which is impractical in many cases

Another tool for removing scalpel blades is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,875,533, however, this tool described in U.S. Patent No. 5,875,533 is only capable of accommodating a limited range of scalpel blades and handles

Some other problems associated with currently known blade removal devices relate to the reliability of the prior art devices and the high failure rate due to excessive friction and seizing

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