Patent ID: RE40432

Claim:
An apparatus comprising a scalpel and a container holding said scalpel, said scalpel including: a blade attached to a handle, said scalpel having a major cross-sectional dimension and a minor cross-sectional dimension; and said container including: an elongated scalpel recess closed at each end and receiving said scalpel, and having a first portion receiving said scalpel blade and a second portion receiving at least part of said scalpel handle, said portions having a width slightly greater than that of the major cross-sectional dimension of the scalpel and depth slightly greater than that of the minor cross-sectional dimension of the scalpel, the length of said scalpel recess being such that the scalpel blade is located within one of said portions irrespective of the position of the scalpel in the scalpel recess, the width being substantially constant for the length of each of said portions, and guide means for physically guiding a scalpel placed in said container to at a position outside of said recess into said scalpel recess; the arrangement scalpel recess being such that constructed so the scalpel received within said scalpel recess is positioned therein such that the scalpel blade is not directed towards the opening of the scalpel recess whereby a user's fingers are substantially prevented from contacting a cutting portion of the scalpel blade.