Patent ID: 7036660

Claim:
A surgical blade package for easily and conveniently mounting a surgical blade on the forwardly-projecting cleat of a scalpel, thereby substantially minimizing the risk of injury by an accidental or inadvertent contact with the blade, the blade having a tip and further having a mounting slot formed therein, the surgical blade package comprising a molded-plastic package having an open top and sidewalls, a bottom wall, a closed forward end wall and an open rear end oppositely of the closed forward end wall, respectively, a raised transverse ledge between the side walls, such that the blade is supported on the ledge between the side walls, wherein the blade is substantially horizontal and parallel to the bottom wall of the package, the tip of the blade is pointed in the direction of the closed end wall of the package, and the blade having a rear portion in juxtaposition to the open rear end of the package; a pair of spaced-apart vertical guides at the open rear end of the package; and a hold-down pivotable tab integrally connected to the closed end wall by a living hinge, the tab partially covering the open top for retaining the blade within the package, the end of the pivotable tab being substantially coterminous with the raised transverse ledge, such that when the cleat of the scalpel is inserted upwardly through the open rear end of package, between the spaced-apart vertical guides, beneath the rear portion of the blade and between the blade and the bottom wall of the package, the cleat on the scalpel is inserted into the slot in the blade, and the tab is pivoted upwardly away from the package as the blade is separated completely from the package.