Protecting Personnel From Injury on the Front Lines

September 27, 2017

By: Adeline Yi, Anzen™ Product Manager

Anzen™ Safety Scalpel is designed to meet the needs of OR nurses and surgical techs

Our previous post detailed the dangers of sharps injuries to surgical techs and OR nurses—and the distressing impact these injuries can have on their lives.

Surgical techs and nurses are responsible for handling a scalpel from the time it comes out of the box until the time of its disposal. They are particularly vulnerable to injury while assembling, passing, or removing the instrument.

The features that techs and nurses want most in a safety scalpel are somewhat different from those needed by surgeons, whose chief concerns are a scalpel’s weight and balance. By contrast, surgical techs and OR nurses voiced a need for:

  • Blade cartridges that are safe to assemble and remove
  • Blade cartridges that are easy to assemble and remove1

 

Anzen™ Safety Scalpel responds to nurse and tech concerns

 

MediPurpose worked closely with surgical techs and scrub nurses to develop its new Anzen™ Safety Scalpel. Click here to see how easy it is to assemble and disassemble the Anzen™ Safety Scalpel. In response to their feedback, the scalpel also incorporates these features:

  • A disposable cartridge integrates the slider, shield, and sterile blade. The protected blade stays retracted while attaching and detaching the cartridge
  • A cartridge lock prevents blade exposure unless the cartridge is attached to the handle
  • A second lock prevents cartridge detachment when the blade is exposed
  • The blade is exposed/retracted by DEPRESSING the button BUT the cartridge is detached by LIFTING the release tab so the surgeon will NOT accidentally detach the cartridge
  • Disposal has been made safer as well. The Anzen™ blade can only be disposed when retracted, and the cartridge locks for disposal.
  • Unlike other safety scalpels on the market, the blades are fully protected when opening the box
  • Assembly is easy: The cartridge simply slides onto the handle until it locks into place, with no extra equipment needed
  • Blade removal is also easy: The user simply lifts the release tab and slides the cartridge out
  • Nurses and surgical techs can be assured that Anzen™’s durable cartridge will not come apart during blade removal or replacement.

MediPurpose remains committed to meeting the needs of the entire surgical team.

1 Stoker R. Are Safety Scalpels Making the Cut With Surgeons and Nurses? Outpatient Surgery Magazine 2011.