Patent ID: 7101382

Claim:
A retractable scalpel device comprising: (a) a cover housing with top and bottom edges and right and left sides along a length of the cover housing, the cover housing formed in substantially the shape of a surgical scalpel handle and defining a longitudinal sliding bore, the sliding bore having a blade opening defined in the cover housing at a forward end, a closed end at a rear end of the cover housing, and a slot extending through at least part of the left side of the cover housing; (b) a sliding piece comprising a forward section, on which is fixed a scalpel blade, a mid section, and a U-shaped legs section, where the mid section has a lateral extension through the slot and beyond the left side of the cover housing to form an actuator substantially wider than the slot adapted to permit a user to move the sliding piece in forward and rearward motion in the slot and within the sliding bore; (c) the legs section comprising a sliding section with lateral dimensions substantially wider and thicker than the mid section and adapted to slidingly support the sliding piece in the sliding bore; (d) the legs section further comprising two flexible legs extending rearward from the sliding section, where a rearward part of the legs are urged apart from one another and have a releasable latching element urged against either a top or bottom surface of the sliding bore; (e) spring means for urging the sliding piece rearward so that in a rearward rest position the blade is covered by the cover housing and in a forward latched position the blade has passed though the blade opening and is exposed for surgical procedures; and (f) two releasable latch openings defined along opposite edges of the length of the cover housing and adapted to engage the releasable latching elements when a user moves the actuator in a forward direction to the forward latched position.