HANDLE WITH REMOVABLE DISPOSABLE SURGICAL BLADE AND BLADE REMOVAL SYSTEM INCLUDING DISPOSAL CONTAINER

A surgical blade includes a handle (10) with a recess (15) sized to receive the proximal end of a blade assembly (50). The recess (15) includes a notch (17) as well as opposed facing distal ridges (25, 27) designed to- engage elevated surfaces (65, 67) in the blade assembly (50) to maintain the blade assembly (50) and handle (10) assembled. The blade assembly includes a blade portion (53) and a fitting (51) having a protrusion (55) sized to be received in the proximal notch (17) of the recess (15) in the handle (10) when the blade portion (53) is assembled to the handle. The fitting also includes side faces (61, 63) having opposed elevated (65, 67) surfaces obliquely disposed so that they are engaged by the distal ridges (25, 27) within the handle recess. The fitting (51) also includes an upwardly extending catch (58) that engages a distal surface (23) on the handle to assist in locking the blade assembly (50) to the handle (10). The recess (15) of the handle includes inner tapered surfaces (28, 29). The side faces of the fitting are tapered to the same degree so that as the fitting is pushed upwardly within the recess, the side faces (61, 63) of the fitting engage the lateral inner surfaces (28, 29) of the recess to provide an interference fit therebetween. A blade removal system permits the blade assembly to be removed from the handle without any danger of cutting or puncturing the fingers or hands of the surgeon. The system includes a container (71) having a removable lid (80), with the lid having an opening (84) leading to a short passageway (85) receiving the blade assembly. The blade assembly (50) may be inserted into the passageway (85) until the fitting (51) engages within a rectangular opening (84) therein, hi that orientation, the handle may be pivoted to unlock the blade assembly (50) from the handle (10). La lame chirurgicale de l'invention comporte une poignée (10) avec un rétreint (15) dimensionné pour recevoir l'extrémité proximale d'un ensemble lame (50). Le rétreint (15) comporte une encoche (17) de même que des crêtes distales opposées (25, 27) conçues pour entrer en prise avec des surfaces surélevées (65, 67) dans l'ensemble lame (50) pour maintenir l'ensemble lame (50) et la poignée (10) assemblés. L'ensemble lame contient une partie de lame (53) et un raccord (51) possédant une partie saillante (55) dimensionnée pour se loger dans l'encoche proximale (17) du rétreint (15) dans la poignée (10) lorsque la partie de lame (53) est assemblé