Patent ID: 7207999

Claim:
A safety scalpel, comprising: a blade including an orifice disposed between a front cutting end and a rear end, said front and rear ends being disposed substantially in the same plane; a handle including a front portion and a rear portion, said front portion being adapted to receive said rear end of said blade and securely engage said blade via said orifice; and a housing configured to retain internally said blade and slide back and forth onto said front handle portion between a first position in which said front cutting end of said blade is fully exposed for operational use and a second position in which said front cutting end of said blade is fully enclosed within said housing for safety, said blade being securely engaged by said front handle portion via said orifice in said first and second positions, said housing including on different sides respectively a sliding movement activator and a blade disengaging actuator, said actuator configured for contacting to disengage said blade from said front handle portion when said housing is in said second position, said housing being formed with at least one retaining member unattached to said actuator, said retaining member forming a hooking structure for fixing therewithin a portion of said blade when said blade is disengaged from said handle and said blade disengaging actuator is disengaged from said blade; said blade being removable with said housing from said handle.