Surgical scalpel with retractable guard

• US 5,250,063 A
• Filed: 01/24/1992
• Issued: 10/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ALB Associates, LLC
• Original Assignee: Leonard Bloom
• Inventors: Lehmbeck, Steven P., Abidin, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, W.
• Application Number:
  US07/825,556
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 606/166, 606/167, 606/172, 606/181, 606/182, 606/185, 30/162, 30/151, 30/164, 30/167, 30/286, 30/335, 128/751
• US Class Current: 606/167
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3213 with detachable blades
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3217 Devices for removing or collecting used scalpel blades for sharps A61B50/362
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32113 with extendable or retractable guard or blade

Abstract

A surgical scalpel is provided with a retractable guard for its cutting blade. The scalpel includes a resiliently-biased locking means and a releasing mechanism for, alternatively, selectively locking the guard in an extended position for covering the blade and in a retracted position for exposing the blade. The guard is disposed on the body of the scalpel for sliding movement between its extended and retracted positions--with the use of only one hand--and without requiring the surgeon, nurse and/or assistant to take his or her eyes away from the patient. The locking mechanism produces a auditory sensory warning to signal to the user thereof that the guard is locked into either its extended or retracted position, without the necessity of visually observing the scalpel, and the locking and releasing mechanisms may be tactually located by the user and activated without visually observing the scalpel.

Claims

1. A surgical scalpel, comprised of:

the scalpel including a body having a rear portion and a forward portion;

a surgical cutting blade;

a surgical cutting blade attachment projection for receiving the surgical cutting blade thereon, the cutting blade attachment projection being integrally formed on the forward portion of the body of the scalpel and extending forwardly therefrom, so that the cutting blade thereon extends forwardly therefrom;

a cutting blade guard carried by the body of the scalpel for selective longitudinal sliding movement of the guard on the body between an extended position, wherein the guard extends over the cutting blade, thereby selectively covering the cutting blade and protecting the user thereof, and a retracted position, wherein the guard is rearward of the cutting blade, thereby selectively exposing the cutting blade and permitting the use thereof; and

a resiliently-biased detent means formed between the body of the scalpel and the blade guard for removably securing the blade guard in the respective extended and retracted positions thereof wherein the resilient-biased means includes;

the cutting blade guard having at least one pair of locking detents formed therein, one of the locking detents of said pair being formed in a forward portion of the cutting blade guard, and the other of the locking detents of said pair being formed in a rearward portion of the cutting blade guard; and

a resiliently-biased means carried by the body of the scalpel for selectively mating with one of the respective locking detents of the pair of locking detents formed in the blade guard when the blade guard is disposed in the respective extended and retracted positions thereof, whereby the mating of the locking means with the one of the locking detents formed in the forward portion of the blade guard removably secures the blade guard in the respective retracted position thereof, and further whereby the mating of the locking means with the one of the locking detents formed in the rearward portion of the blade guard removably secures the blade guard in the respective extended position thereof.

2. The surgical scalpel of claim 1, wherein the resiliently-biased means includes a locking pin carried by the body of the scalpel, the locking pin being constantly resiliently-biased outwardly and into the locking detents.

3. The surgical scalpel of claim 2, wherein the resiliently-biased means further includes:

the locking pin having an annular shoulder for being received in the locking detents; and

a biasing spring disposed between the body of the scalpel and the annular shoulder of the locking pin, so as to abut the body of the scalpel and the annular shoulder of the locking pin for constantly resiliently-biasing the annular shoulder of the locking pin outwardly and into the respective locking detents.

4. The surgical scalpel of claim 3, wherein the locking pin further includes a release extension adjacent to the annular shoulder and extending outwardly therefrom, so that the release extension may be pushed downwardly for overcoming the resilient biasing action of the biasing spring, whereby the blade guard is released for permitting the sliding movement of the blade guard on the body of the scalpel between the extended and retracted positions.

5. The surgical scalpel of claim 4 wherein the release extension has an enlarged rounded end formed thereon, thereby facilitating the pushing of the locking pin against the biasing spring for overcoming the biasing action of the biasing spring for disengaging the upper abutment end of the locking pin from the locking detent, so that the blade guard may be selectively moved between the first and the second positions thereof.

6. The surgical scalpel of claim 3, wherein the resiliently-biased means further includes:

the locking pin further having a lower stem adjacent to the shoulder and extending therefrom;

the biasing spring received around the stem of the locking pin, the spring having one end abutting the body of the scalpel and a second end abutting the shoulder, whereby the constant resiliently-biasing effect is exerted on the pin.

7. The surgical scalpel of claim 1, further comprised of:

the resiliently-biased means including a locking pin carried by the body of the scalpel, the locking pin being constantly resiliently-biased outwardly and into the locking detents;

the locking pin including a release extension and an annular shoulder formed adjacent to the release extension;

the cutting blade guard having a longitudinal slot formed therein, the longitudinal slot having a width being greater than the release extension of the locking pin, so as to receive the release extension of the locking pin therein, and less than the annular shoulder of the locking pin; and

the longitudinal slot including a pair of enlarged portions formed therein, one of said enlarged portions being formed in the forward portion of the cutting blade guard and the other of the said enlarged portions being formed in the rearward portion of the cutting blade guard, whereby the locking detents are defined in the cutting blade guard for receiving the annular shoulder of the locking pin therein, so that the cutting blade guard is locked into, respectively, extended position and the retracted position thereof.

8. The surgical scalpel of claim 7, further comprised of:

the cutting blade guard having a respective edges defined on each side of the longitudinal slot that is formed therein;

a guide flange formed on at least a portion of each of the respective edges of the cutting blade guard, each of said flanges formed so as to be oriented towards the body of the scalpel;

the body of the scalpel having a pair of guide tracks formed therein such that each guide track receives one of the respective guide flanges therein, whereby the selective sliding longitudinal movement of the cutting blade guard on the body of the scalpel is facilitated.

9. The surgical scalpel of claim 1, wherein the resiliently-biased means includes a ball-spring detent.

10. The surgical scalpel of claim 1, further comprised of:

the cutting blade guard having a closed-ended stop slot formed therein, said stop slot extending substantially longitudinally along the guard from the forward end to the rearward end thereof; and

a stop pin carried by the body of the scalpel and extending outwardly therefrom, so as to be received in the stop slot, whereby the longitudinal sliding movement is restricted so as to prevent the guard from being sliding moved beyond the extended and retracted positions thereof.

11. A surgical scalpel, comprised of:

the scalpel including a body having a rear portion and a forward portion;

a surgical cutting blade;

a surgical cutting blade attachment projection for receiving the surgical cutting blade thereon, the cutting blade attachment projection being integrally formed on the forward portion of the body of the scalpel and extending forwardly therefrom, so that the cutting blade thereon extends forwardly therefrom;

a cutting blade guard carried by the body of the scalpel for selective longitudinal sliding movement of the guard on the body between a forward position, wherein the guard extends over the cutting blade, thereby selectively covering the cutting blade and protecting the user thereof, and a rearward position, wherein the guard is rearward of the cutting blade, thereby selectively exposing the cutting blade and permitting the use thereof;

the cutting blade guard having at least one pair of locking detents formed therein, one of the locking detents of said pair being formed in a forward portion of the cutting blade guard, and the other of the locking detents of said pair being formed in a rearward portion of the cutting blade guard;

a locking pin carried by the body of the scalpel, the locking pin having an release extension, an annular shoulder for being received in the locking detents, and a lower stem adjacent to the shoulder and extending therefrom oppositely the release extension;

a biasing spring received around the stem of the locking pin, the spring having one end abutting the body of the scalpel and a second end abutting the annular shoulder of the locking pin, whereby the constant resiliently-biasing effect is exerted on the pin, so as to abut the body of the scalpel and the annular shoulder of the locking pin for constantly resiliently-biasing the locking pin outwardly, such that the annular shoulder thereof is received in the locking detents for selectively mating with one of the respective locking detents of the pair of locking detents formed in the blade guard when the blade guard is disposed in the respective forward and rearward positions thereof, whereby the mating of the annular shoulder of the locking pin with the one of the locking detents formed in the forward portion of the blade guard removably secures the blade guard in the respective rearward position thereof, and further whereby the mating of the annular shoulder of the locking pin with the one of the locking detents formed in the rearward portion of the blade guard removably secures the blade guard in the respective forward position thereof; and

the release extension of the locking pin having an enlarged rounded end formed thereon, thereby facilitating the pushing of the locking pin against the biasing spring for overcoming the biasing action of the biasing spring for disengaging the annular shoulder of the locking pin from the locking detent, so that the blade guard may be selectively moved between the forward and the rearward positions thereof.

12. A surgical scalpel, comprised of:

the scalpel including a body having a rear portion and a forward portion;

a surgical cutting blade;

a surgical cutting blade attachment projection for receiving the surgical cutting blade thereon, the cutting blade attachment projection being integrally formed on the forward portion of the body of the scalpel and extending forwardly therefrom, so that the cutting blade thereon extends forwardly therefrom;

a cutting blade guard carried by the body of the scalpel for selective longitudinal sliding movement of the guard on the body between a forward position, wherein the guard extends over the cutting blade, thereby selectively covering the cutting blade and protecting the user thereof, and a rearward position, wherein the guard is rearward of the cutting blade, thereby selectively exposing the cutting blade and permitting the use thereof;

the cutting blade guard having at least one pair of locking detents formed therein, one of the locking detents of said pair being formed in a forward portion of the cutting blade guard, and the other of the locking detents of said pair being formed in a rearward portion of the cutting blade guard;

a locking pin carried by the body of the scalpel, the locking pin including a release extension and an annular shoulder formed adjacent to the release extension, the locking pin being constantly resiliently-biased outwardly, such that the annular shoulder is received in the respective locking detents for selectively mating with one of the respective locking detents of the pair of locking detents formed in the blade guard when the blade guard is disposed in the respective forward and rearward positions thereof, whereby the mating of the annular shoulder of the locking pin with the one of the locking detents formed in the forward portion of the blade guard removably secures the blade guard in the respective rearward position thereof, and further whereby the mating of the annular shoulder of the locking pin with the one of the locking detents formed in the rearward portion of the blade guard removably secures the blade guard in the respective forward position thereof;

the cutting blade guard having a longitudinal slot formed therein, the longitudinal slot having a width being greater than the release extension and the annular shoulder of the locking pin, so as to receive the release extension and the annular shoulder of the locking pin therethrough; and

the longitudinal slot including a pair of enlarged portions formed therein, one of said enlarged portions being formed in the forward portion of the cutting blade guard and the other of the said enlarged portions being formed in the rearward portion of the cutting blade guard, whereby the locking detents are defined in the cutting blade guard for receiving the annular shoulder of the locking pin therein, so that the cutting blade guard is locked into, respectively, forward position and the rearward position thereof.

13. A cutting blade guard for a surgical scalpel of the type having a body and a surgical cutting blade carried by the body of the scalpel, the cutting blade guard comprised of:

the cutting blade guard including a body carried by the body of the scalpel for selective longitudinal sliding movement of the guard on the body of the scalpel between a forward position, wherein the guard extends over the cutting blade, thereby selectively covering the cutting blade and protecting the user thereof, and a rearward position, wherein the guard is rearward of the cutting blade, thereby selectively exposing the cutting blade and permitting the use thereof; and

the body of the cutting blade guard having a forward portion and a rearward portion, the body of the cutting blade guard further having at least one pair of locking detents formed therein, one of the locking detents of said pair being formed in a forward portion of the cutting blade guard, and the other of the locking detents of said pair being formed in a rearward portion of the cutting blade guard;

whereby a resiliently-biased locking means carried by the body of the scalpel may selectively mate with one of the respective locking detents of the pair of locking detents formed in the cutting blade guard when the cutting blade guard is disposed in the respective forward and rearward positions thereof, whereby the mating of the locking means with the one of the locking detents formed in the forward portion of the cutting blade guard removably secures the cutting blade guard in the respective rearward position thereof, and further whereby the mating of the locking means with the one of the locking detents formed in the rearward portion of the cutting blade guard removably secures the cutting blade guard in the respective forward position thereof.

14. The cutting blade guard of claim 13, further comprised of:

the body of the cutting blade guard having a longitudinal slot formed therein;

the longitudinal slot including a pair of enlarged portions formed therein, one of said enlarged portions being formed in the forward portion of the cutting blade guard and the other of the said enlarged portions being formed in the rearward portion of the cutting blade guard, whereby the locking detents are defined in the cutting blade guard for removably receiving therein the constantly resiliently-biased locking means, so that the cutting blade guard may be selectively locked into, respectively, forward position and the rearward position thereof.

15. The cutting blade guard of claim 14, wherein the body of the scalpel further having a pair of guide tracks formed therein, the cutting blade guard further comprised of:

the cutting blade guard having a respective edges defined on each side of the longitudinal slot that is formed therein; and

a guide flange formed on at least a portion of each of the respective edges of the cutting blade guard, each of said flanges formed so as to be oriented towards the body of the scalpel;

whereby each of the guide flanges is received in a respective guide track, so that selective sliding longitudinal movement of the cutting blade guard on the body of the scalpel is facilitated.

16. The cutting blade guard of claim 13, wherein the body of the scalpel further having a stop pin carried thereby so as to extend outwardly therefrom, the cutting blade guard further comprised of:

the cutting blade guard having a closed-ended stop slot formed therein, said stop slot extending substantially longitudinally along the guard from the forward end to the rearward end thereof, whereby the stop pin carried by the body of the scalpel is received in the stop slot, so that the longitudinal sliding movement is restricted to prevent the guard from being sliding moved beyond the first and second positions thereof.

17. In combination, a surgical scalpel, a surgical cutting blade therefore and a surgical cutting blade guard, the combination comprised of:

the scalpel including a body having a rear portion and a forward portion;

a surgical cutting blade attachment projection for receiving the surgical cutting blade thereon, the cutting blade attachment projection being integrally formed on the forward portion of the body of the scalpel and extending forwardly therefrom, so that the cutting blade thereon extends forwardly therefrom;

the cutting blade including a blade body having a forward end and a rearward end; and

the body of the cutting blade having an attachment aperture formed therein, whereby the attachment projection of the scalpel may be removably received in the attachment aperture formed in the body of the cutting blade;

the attachment aperture formed in the cutting blade having a width and a length, the width of the attachment aperture being substantially the same along the entire length thereof;

a cutting blade guard carried by the body of the scalpel for selective longitudinal sliding movement of the guard on the body between a forward position, wherein the guard extends over the cutting blade, thereby selectively covering the cutting blade and protecting the user thereof, and a rearward position, wherein the guard is rearward of the cutting blade, thereby selectively exposing the cutting blade and permitting the use thereof;

wherein the guard comprises a U-shaped member closely approximating the external contours of the scalpel, and

a resiliently-biased locking detent means formed between the body of the scalpel and the blade guard for removably securing the blade guard in the respective forward and rearward positions thereof, wherein the scalpel body has a top portion, a bottom portion, and a relatively-thin width, thereby defining a longitudinal vertical center plane for the scalpel body, and wherein the resiliently-biased locking detent means includes a detent member having a first portion slidably guided within the scalpel body, disposed within the longitudinal vertical center plane thereof, the having a second portion projecting above the top portion of the scalpel body for convenient manual manipulation.

18. In combination, a surgical scalpel, a surgical cutting blade therefore and a surgical cutting blade guard, the combination comprised of:

the scalpel including a body having a rear portion and a forward portion;

a surgical cutting blade attachment projection for receiving the surgical cutting blade thereon, the cutting blade attachment projection being integrally formed on the forward portion of the body of the scalpel and extending forwardly therefrom, so that the cutting blade thereon extends forwardly therefrom;

the cutting blade including a blade body having a forward end and a rearward end;

a cutting blade formed on the forward end of the cutting blade body; and

the body of the cutting blade having a attachment aperture formed therein, whereby the attachment projection of the scalpel may be removably received in the attachment aperture formed in the body of the cutting blade;

the attachment aperture formed in the cutting blade having a width and a length, the width of the attachment apertures being substantially the same along the entire length thereof;

a cutting blade guard carried by the body of the scalpel for selective longitudinal sliding movement of the guard on the body between a forward position, wherein the guard extends over the cutting blade, thereby selectively covering the cutting blade and protecting the user thereof, and a rearward position, wherein the guard is rearward of the cutting blade, thereby selectively exposing the cutting blade and permitting the use thereof;

the cutting blade guard having at least one pair of locking detents formed therein, one of the locking detents of said pair being formed in a forward portion of the cutting blade guard, and the other of the locking detents of said pair being formed in a rearward portion of the cutting blade guard;

a locking pin carried by the body of the scalpel, the locking pin having an annular shoulder formed thereon for being received in the locking detents, and a lower stem adjacent to the shoulder and extending therefrom;

a biasing spring received around the stem of the locking pin, the spring having one end abutting the body of the scalpel and a second end abutting the annular shoulder of the locking pin, whereby the constant resiliently-biasing effect is exerted on the pin, so as to abut the body of the scalpel and the annular shoulder of the locking pin for constantly resiliently-biasing the locking pin outwardly and into the locking detents for selectively mating with one of the respective locking detents of the pair of locking detents formed in the blade guard when the blade guard is disposed in the respective forward and rearward positions thereof, whereby the mating of the locking pin with the one of the locking detents formed in the forward portion of the blade guard removably secures the blade guard in the respective rearward position thereof, and further whereby the mating of the locking pin with the one of the locking detents formed in the rearward portion of the blade guard removably secures the blade guard in the respective forward position thereof; and

the locking pin further having a release extension formed thereon adjacent to the annular shoulder, so as to extend therefrom oppositely from the lower stem, the release extension of the locking pin having an enlarged rounded end formed thereon, thereby facilitating the pushing of the locking pin against the biasing spring for overcoming the biasing action of the biasing spring for disengaging the annular shoulder of the locking pin from the locking detent, so that the blade guard may be selectively moved between the forward and the rearward positions thereof.

19. In combination, a surgical scalpel, a surgical cutting blade therefor and a surgical cutting blade guard, the combination comprised of:

the scalpel including a body having a rear portion and a forward portion;

a surgical cutting blade attachment projection for receiving the surgical cutting blade thereon, the cutting blade attachment projection being integrally formed on the forward portion of the body of the scalpel and extending forwardly therefrom, so that the cutting blade thereon extends forwardly therefrom;

the cutting blade including a blade body having a forward end and a rearward end;

a cutting blade formed on the forward end of the cutting blade body; and

the body of the cutting blade having a attachment aperture formed therein, whereby the attachment projection of the scalpel may be removably received in the attachment aperture formed in the body of the cutting blade;

the attachment aperture formed in the cutting blade having a width and a length, the width of the attachment apertures being substantially the same along the entire length thereof;

a cutting blade guard carried by the body of the scalpel for selective longitudinal sliding movement of the guard on the body between a forward position, wherein the guard extends over the cutting blade, thereby selectively covering the cutting blade and protecting the user thereof, and a rearward position, wherein the guard is rearward of the cutting blade, thereby selectively exposing the cutting blade and permitting the use thereof;

the cutting blade guard having at least one pair of locking detents formed therein, one of the locking detents of said pair being formed in a forward portion of the cutting blade guard, and the other of the locking detents of said pair being formed in a rearward portion of the cutting blade guard;

a locking pin carried by the body of the scalpel, the locking pin including a release extension, and an annular shoulder formed adjacent to the release extension, the locking pin being constantly resiliently-biased outwardly and into the locking detents for selectively mating with one of the respective locking detents of the pair of locking detents formed in the blade guard when the blade guard is disposed in the respective forward and rearward positions thereof, whereby the mating of the locking pin with the one of the locking detents formed in the forward portion of the blade guard removably secures the blade guard in the respective rearward position thereof, and further whereby the mating of the locking pin with the one of the locking detents formed in the rearward portion of the blade guard removably secures the blade guard in the respective forward position thereof;

the cutting blade guard having a longitudinal slot formed therein, the longitudinal slot having a width being greater than the release extension and the annular shoulder of the locking pin, so as to receive the release extension and the annular shoulder of the locking pin therein, and less than the annular shoulder of the locking pin; and

the longitudinal slot including a pair of enlarged portions formed therein, one of said enlarged portions being formed in the forward portion of the cutting blade guard and the other of the said enlarged portions being formed in the rearward portion of the cutting blade guard, whereby the locking detents are defined in the cutting blade guard for receiving the annular shoulder of the locking pin therein, so that the cutting blade guard is locked into, respectively, forward position and the rearward position thereof.

20. A guard for the blade of a surgical scalpel, wherein the scalpel has a main body portion including a forward section upon which the blade is removably mounted, comprising a substantially U-shaped channel including a pair of parallel side walls connected by a bottom wall, such that the guard closely straddles the main body portion of the scalpel and does not interfere with the normal use of the scalpel during a procedure performed in an operating room, means for slidably mounting the guard on the body of the scalpel for limited movement longitudinally of the body of the scalpel to thereby define a first extended position covering the blade and a second retracted position exposing the blade, such that the surgeon, nurse or assistant in the operating room may move the guard from one position to another in a one-handed movement without taking his or her eyes away from the patient, and the blade guard providing a tactile indication of the respective position of the guard on the body of the scalpel, so that either the surgeon or the nurse in the operating room does to have to takehis or her eyes away from the patient while passing the scalpel from one to another during the operating procedure, but rather will know instinctively from the feel of the scalpel itself, thereby preventing the usual cuts or nicks normally encountered in passing a surgical scalpel from the assistant to the surgeon and vice versa during an operating procedure, and thereby substantially reducing the risk of the surgeon, nurse or assistant inadvertently acquiring an infectious disease, such as HIV or HBV, in the operating room or similar medical environment, wherein the scalpel body has a top portion, a bottom portion, and a relatively-thin width, thereby defining a longitudinal vertical center plane for the scalpel body, and wherein a detent means is provided between the guard and the scalpel body, the detent means including a resiliently-biased detent member having a first portion slidably guided within the scalpel body, disposed within the longitudinal vertical center plane thereof, and having a second portion projecting above the top portion of the scalpel body for convenient manual manipulation.

21. A guard for the blade of a surgical scalpel, wherein the scalpel has a main body portion including a forward section upon which the blade is removably mounted, comprising a substantially U-shaped channel including a pair of parallel side walls connected by a bottom wall, such that the guard closely straddles the main body portion of the scalpel and does not interfere with the normal use of the scalpel during a procedure performed in an operating room, means for slidably mounting the guard on the body of the scalpel for limited movement longitudinally of the body of the scalpel to thereby define a first extended position covering the blade and a second retracted position exposing the blade, such that the surgeon, nurse or assistant in the operating room may move the guard from one position to another in a one-handed movement without taking his or her eyes away from the patient, and the blade guard providing a tactile indication of the respective position of the guard on the body of the scalpel, so that either the surgeon or the nurse in the operating room does not have to take his or her eyes away from the patient while passing the scalpel from one to another during the operating procedure, but rather will know instinctively from the feel of the scalpel itself, thereby preventing the usual cuts or nicks normally encountered in passing a surgical scalpel from the assistant to the surgeon and vice versa during an operating procedure, and thereby substantially reducing the risk of the surgeon, nurse or assistant inadvertently acquiring an infectious disease, such as HIV or HBV, in the operating room or similar medical environment further including a pin carried by the scalpel body and projecting laterally therefrom, and one of the side walls of the guard having a closed slot formed therein for receiving the pin, thereby defining the respective extended and retracted positions of the guard.

22. A guard for the blade of a surgical scalpel, wherein the scalpel has a main body portion including a forward section upon which the blade is removably mounted, comprising a substantially U-shaped channel including a pair of parallel side walls connected by a bottom wall, such that the guard closely straddles the main body portion of the scalpel and does not interfere with the normal use of the scalpel during a procedure performed in an operating room, means for slidably mounting the guard on the body of the scalpel for limited movement longitudinally of the body of the scalpel to thereby define a first extended position covering the blade and a second retracted position exposing the blade, such that the surgeon, nurse or assistant in the operating room may move the guard from one position to another in a one-handed movement without taking his or her eyes away from the patient, and the blade guard providing a tactile indication of the respective position of the guard on the body of the scalpel, so that either the surgeon or the nurse in the operating room does not have to take his or her eyes away from the patient while passing the scalpel from one to another during the operating procedure, but rather will know instinctively from the feel of the scalpel itself, thereby preventing the usual cuts or nicks normally encountered in passing a surgical scalpel from the assistant to the surgeon and vice versa during an operating procedure, and thereby substantially reducing the risk of the surgeon, nurse or assistant inadvertently acquiring an infectious disease, such as HIV or HBV, in the operating room or similar medical environment, wherein the bottom wall of the guard has a cut-out portion formed therein to facilitate manual movement of the guard.

23. A guard for the blade of a surgical scalpel, wherein the scalpel has a main body portion including a forward section upon which the blade is removably mounted, comprising a substantially U-shaped channel including a pair of parallel side walls connected by a bottom wall, such that the guard closely straddles the main body portion of the scalpel and does not interfere with the normal use of the scalpel during a procedure performed in an operating room, means for slidably mounting the guard on the body the scalpel for limited movement longitudinally of the body of the scalpel to thereby define a first extended position covering the blade and a second retracted position exposing the blade, such that the surgeon, nurse or assistant in the operating room may move the guard from one position to another in a one-handed movement without taking his or her eyes away from the patient, and the blade guard providing a tactile indication of the respective position of the guard on the body of the scalpel, so that either the surgeon or the nurse in the operating room does not have to takehis or her eyes away from the patient while passing the scalpel from one to another during the operating procedure, but rather will known instinctively from the feel of the scalpel itself, thereby preventing the usual cuts or nicks normally encountered in passing a surgical scalpel from the assistant to the surgeon and vice versa during an operating procedure, and thereby substantially reducing the risk of the surgeon, nurse or assistant inadvertently acquiring an infectious disease, such as HIV or HVB, in the operating room or similar medical environment, further including releasable detented locking means forward between the guard and the body of the scalpel and operative in the first and second positions of the guard, respectively.

24. The guard of claim 23, wherein the releasable detented locking means comprises a spring-loaded manually-accessible detent pin carried by the scalpel body, and the guard having a pair of detent pockets to selectively receive the detent pin, such that the detent pin may be manually depressed to clear the respective detent pocket and allow the guard to be slidably moved.

25. The guard of claim 24, wherein each of the side walls of the guard has an inturned flange, and wherein the detent pockets are formed as respective cut-outs in the inturned flanges.

26. A guard for the blade of a surgical scalpel, wherein the scalpel has a main body portion including a forward section upon which the blade is removably mounted, comprising a substantially U-shaped channel including a pair of parallel side walls connected by a bottom wall, such that the guard closely straddles the main body portion of the scalpel and does not interfere with the normal use of the scalpel during a procedure performed in an operating room, mounting means for slidably mounting the guard on the body of the scalpel for limited movement longitudinally of the body of the scalpel, said mounting means including a pin carried by the scalpel body and projecting laterally therefrom, and one of the side walls of the U-shaped channel having a longitudinal closed slot formed therein and receiving the pin, thereby defining a first extended position covering the blade and a second retracted position exposing the blade, releasable detented locking means formed between the guard and the body of the scalpel and operative in the first and second positions of the guard, respectively, such that the surgeon, nurse or assistant in the operating room may move the guard from one position to another in a one-handed movement without taking his or her eyes off of the patient, the releasable detented locking means comprising a spring-loaded manually-accessible detent pin carried by the scalpel body, and the guard having a pair of detent pockets to selectively receive the detent pin, such that the detent pin may be manually depressed to clear the respective detent pocket and allow the guard to be slidably moved, the side walls of the guard each having an inturned flange, and the detent pockets comprising respective longitudinally-spaced respective openings formed in the inturned flanges of the side walls of the guard, the bottom wall of the guard having a thumb cut-out portion formed therein to facilitate the limited longitudinal sliding movement of the guard upon release of the detent means, and wherein the blade guard provides a tactile indication of the respective position of the guard on the body of the scalpel, so that either the surgeon or the nurse in the operating room does not have to take his or her eyes away from the patient while passing the scalpel form one to another during the operating procedure, but rather will know instinctively from the feel of the scalpel itself, thereby preventing the usual cuts or nicks normally encountered in passing a surgical scalpel from the assistant to the surgeon and vice versa during an operating procedure, and thereby substantially reducing the risk of the surgeon, nurse or assistant inadvertently acquiring an infectious disease, such as the HIV virus, in the operating room or similar medical environment.

27. In combination, a blade for a surgical scalpel, wherein the scalpel has a body including a forward portion provided with a right-angularly disposed shoulder, the blade having a rearward right-angularly disposed edge complementary to, and bearing against, the shoulder on the scalpel body, such that the blade is snugly received on the forward portion of the scalpel body, means for detachably mounting the blade on the scalpel, a manually-movable U-shaped guard means carried by the body of the scalpel and closely approximating the external contours of the scalpel body for selectively covering and exposing the blade, all in a one-handed operation without looking at the scalpel, wherein the scalpel body has a top portion, a bottom portion, and a relatively-thin width, thereby defining a longitudinal vertical center plane for the scalpel body, and wherein a detent means is provided between the guard and the scalpel body, the detent means including a resiliently-biased detent member having a first portion slidably guided within the scalpel body, disposed within the longitudinal vertical center plane thereof, and having a second portion projecting above the top portion of the scalpel body for convenient manual manipulation.

28. In a guarded scalpel for surgical use, wherein the guarded scalpel includes a relatively-thin handle having a top portion and further having respective side portions defining therebetween a vertical longitudinal center plane, a blade mounted on the handle, and a guard closely mounted on the handle for sliding movement thereon about a longitudinal axis and from an advanced position in which the blade is covered to a retracted position in which the blade is exposed, the improvement comprising a two-position detent means between the guard and the handle and including a resiliently-biased detent member having a first portion slidably guided within the handle substantially along the vertical longitudinal center plane for limited movement with respect to the handle about an axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the guard, the detent member having a second portion projecting above the handle for manual manipulation, thereby maintaining the relatively-thin external contours of the guarded scalpel, and detent pocket means formed on the guard, longitudinally spaced apart thereon, and cooperating with the projecting second portion of the detent member to define the respective advanced and retracted positions of the guard.

29. In a guarded scalpel for surgical use, wherein the guarded scalpel includes a handle having a top portion, a bottom portion, and respective side portions defining therebetween a vertical longitudinal center plane therebetween, and wherein a guard is slidably mounted on the handle, the guard having an advanced position in which a blade on the handle is covered and further having a retracted position in which the blade is exposed, the improvement comprising a two-position detent means carried by the handle, disposed substantially in the longitudinal vertical center plane of the handle, and operative between the guard and the handle, the detent means including a first manually-manipulatable actuating means projecting above the top portion of the handle, and the guard including a second manually-manipulatable means on the bottom portion thereof for sliding the guard, the first and second manually-manipulatable means having a different tactile feel, whereby, as the guarded scalpel is passed from one health care provider to another in an operating room, the other health care provided receiving the guarded scalpel will known intuitively the orientation of the guarded scalpel as well as the position of the guard without actually looking at the guarded scalpel.