Patent ID: 8256330

Claim:
A method of guarding a surgical blade comprising: providing, in an unguarded position, a guarded surgical knife handle comprising: a lower handle portion comprising a blade, a proximal pair of lateral shelves separated by a first lateral spacing, and a distal pair of lateral shelves separated by a second lateral spacing; an upper handle portion comprising a guard portion that is open at a distal end of the upper handle portion and sized to surround the blade, a proximal post extending downwardly between the proximal pair of shelves and having a first widened post portion below the proximal pair of shelves that is wider than the first lateral spacing, and a distal post extending downwardly between the distal pair of shelves and having a second widened post portion below the distal pair of shelves that is wider than the second lateral spacing; a button extending through a button hole in an upper surface of the upper handle portion, the button comprising a button waist narrower than the second lateral spacing and a widened button portion below the button waist wider than the second lateral spacing, wherein the button is positioned with the widened button portion against a proximal end of the distal pair of lateral shelves in the unguarded position; and a bias member connected to the button and at least one of the lower handle portion and the upper handle portion, the bias member providing an upward force on the button when the button is depressed; depressing the button; sliding the button longitudinally between the distal pair of shelves while the button is depressed to slide the upper handle portion into a guarded position; and releasing the button after the button passes a distal end of the distal pair of shelves.