Forceps

Forceps ( : forceps or considered a plural noun without a singular, often a pair of forceps; the Latin plural forcipes is no longer recorded in most dictionaries) are a handheld, hinged instrument used for grasping and holding objects. Forceps are used when fingers are too large to grasp small objects or when many objects need to be held at one time while the hands are used to perform a task. The term "forceps" is used almost exclusively in the fields of biology and medicine. Outside of biology and medicine, people usually refer to forceps as tweezers, tongs, pliers, clips or clamps. Mechanically, forceps employ the principle of the lever to grasp and apply pressure. Depending on their function, basic surgical forceps can be categorized into the following groups: # Non-disposable forceps. They should withstand various kinds of physical and chemical effects of body fluids, secretions, cleaning agents, and sterilization methods. # Disposable forceps. They are usually made of lower-quality materials or plastics which are disposed after use. Surgical forceps are commonly made of high-grade carbon steel, which ensures they can withstand repeated sterilization in high-temperature autoclaves. Some are made of other high-quality stainless steel, chromium and vanadium alloys to ensure durability of edges and freedom from rust. Lower-quality steel is used in forceps made for other uses.…

Forceps ( : forceps or considered a plural noun without a singular, often a pair of forceps; the Latin plural forcipes is no longer recorded in most dictionaries) are a handheld, hinged instrument used for grasping and holding objects. Forceps are used when fingers are too large to grasp small objects or when many objects need to be held at one time while the hands are used to perform a task. The term "forceps" is used almost exclusively in the fields of biology and medicine. Outside of biology and medicine, people usually refer to forceps as tweezers, tongs, pliers, clips or clamps. Mechanically, forceps employ the principle of the lever to grasp and apply pressure. Depending on their function, basic surgical forceps can be categorized into the following groups: Non-disposable forceps. They should withstand various kinds of physical and chemical effects of body fluids, secretions, cleaning agents, and sterilization methods. Disposable forceps. They are usually made of lower-quality materials or plastics which are disposed after use. Surgical forceps are commonly made of high-grade carbon steel, which ensures they can withstand repeated sterilization in high-temperature autoclaves. Some are made of other high-quality stainless steel, chromium and vanadium alloys to ensure durability of edges and freedom from rust. Lower-quality steel is used in forceps made for other uses. Some disposable forceps are made of plastic. The invention of surgical forceps is attributed to Stephen Hales. There are two basic types of forceps: non-locking (often called "thumb forceps" or "pick-ups") and locking, though these two types come in dozens of specialized forms for various uses. Non-locking forceps also come in two basic forms: hinged at one end, away from the grasping end (colloquially such forceps are called tweezers) and hinged in the middle, rather like scissors. Locking forceps are almost always hinged in the middle, though some forms place the hinge very close to the grasping end. Locking forceps use various means to lock the grasping surfaces in a closed position to facilitate manipulation or to independently clamp, grasp or hold an object. ==Locking forceps== Locking forceps, sometimes called clamps, are used to grasp and firmly hold objects or body tissues, or to apply external compression onto tubular structures such as blood vessels or intestines. When they are specifically used to occlude an artery to forestall bleeding, they are called hemostats. Another form of locking forceps is the needle holder, used to guide a suturing needle through tissue. Many locking forceps use finger rings/loops to facilitate handling (see illustration, below, of Kelly forceps). The finger loops are usually grasped by the thumb and middle or (more often) ring finger, while the index finger is placed on the pivot to help stabilize and guide the instrument. The most common locking mechanism is a handle ratchet, which consists of an asymmetrically serrated short protrusion near the finger loop of one of the handles, and a corresponding hook on the other. As the forceps are closed, the opposing teeth engage and interlock, keeping the handles adducted and the jaw surfaces clamped constantly. To unlock, a simple shearing push by the fingers is all that is needed to disengage the teeth and allow the grasping ends to move apart. ==References==

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