A SCALPEL BLADE REMOVER (10) IS USED TO REMOVE A BLADE (1) FROM A TANG (2) OF A SCALPEL. THE BLADE REMOVER COMPRISES A HOUSING (12), AND A PLANAR MEMBER (21) MOUNTED IN THE HOUSING (12) WITH A LONGITUDINAL SLOT (24) THEREIN. A SLIDER (30) IS ADAPTED TO SLIDE ALONG THE PLANAR MEMBER (21), AND HAS AN OPENING (34) FOR RECEIVING A PORTION OF THE TANG (2) THEREIN. THE SLIDER (30) IS MOVABLE ALONG THE PLANAR MEMBER WHEN PRESSED BY THE TANG (2) BEING INSERTED INTO THE OPENING (34) AND MOVED ALONG THE SLOT (24), WITH THE BLADE (1) BEING LOCATED UNDER THE SLIDER (30). MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDER (30) ALONG THE PLANAR MEMBER (21) CAUSES THE PLANAR MEMBER TO SEPARATE THE REAR END OF THE BLADE (1) FROM THE TANG (2). A STOP FORMATION (27, 28) ON THE PLANAR MEMBER (21) ENGAGES THE REAR END OF THE BLADE (1) AFTER IT HAS BEEN SEPARATED FROM THE TANG AND PREVENTS THE BLADE (1) BEING WITHDRAWN ALONG THE MEMBER. UPON WITHDRAWAL OF THE TANG (2), THE BLADE (1) IS STRIPPED FROM THE TANG (2). IN ONE EMBODIMENT, THE PLANAR MEMBER (21) IS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED, AND THE BLADE REMOVER (10) INCLUDES A TILTING MECHANISM ACTUATED BY MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDER (30) ALONG THE PLANAR MEMBER (21). IN ANOTHER EMBODIMENT, THE PLANAR MEMBER IS FIXEDLY MOUNTED RELATIVE TO THE HOUSING (12), AT AN OBLIQUE ANGLE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE TANG (2). THE MOST ILLUSTRATIVE DRAWING: FIGURE 5
