title: Scalpel safety and new scalpel blade remover.
abstract: Percutaneous injuries to surgical staff carry a reciprocal risk for patients, with potential for infection transmission from provider to patient. The operating room is the highest-risk setting for this mode of transmission because open wounds are susceptible to contamination, and injury to the hands of surgical staff resulting in bleeding is not uncommon. The traditional scalpel (surgical knife) has been extensively used in surgery for a number of years and would be the most widely used surgical instrument in the world at present. A conventional surgical scalpel comprises a reusable, sterile handle having a tang at one end on which a replaceable slotted blade is mounted. The handle is intended to be used repeatedly, but the blade is normally discarded after each instance of use. Removal devices are designed to protect the user and downstream staff from accidental injury when removing a scalpel blade from a reusable handle. Passing tray and single-handed scalpel blade remover. It is a primary object of the present invention (Patent No. 62851- 40294) to reduce or substantially eliminate the risk of changing scalpel blades. It is a further object of the present invention to simplify the removal of a scalpel blade from its handle.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Islamic Azad University of Tabriz Branch, Iran.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hajipour
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D011482:Protective Devices; D013525:Surgical Instruments / Q000009:adverse effects*