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Encyclopedia > Forceps
Plastic forceps are intended to be disposable

Forceps 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 within the medical field. Outside medicine, people usually refer to forceps as tweezers, tongs, pliers, clips or clamps. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 360 pixelsFull resolution (1521 × 685 pixel, file size: 128 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photographed by William Rafti of the William Rafti Institute File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 360 pixelsFull resolution (1521 × 685 pixel, file size: 128 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photographed by William Rafti of the William Rafti Institute File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert... Tweezers are tools used for picking up small objects that are not easily handled with the human hands. ... Tongs used for cooking or serving food Tongs are gripping and lifting tools, of which there are many forms adapted to their specific use. ... For the Jamaican singer, see Pliers (singer). ... CLIPS is a public-domain software tool for building expert systems. ...


The singular and plural form of forceps is always forceps, never 'forcep.' Nor is it referred to as a "pair of" as one refers to a pair of scissors. Etymologically, the word derives from the Latin 'Forca,' meaning a snare or trap. A kind of trap used in trapping. ... // Look up trap in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


Most forceps births are straightforward, although there may be some soreness and bruising afterwards. There is a small risk of permanent damage to the bladder or back passage. The risk of injury is greater with forceps than with ventouse delivery as are reports of severe pain in the perineum 24 hours after delivery. The baby may be slightly bruised; this generally clears up in a few days. Very occasionally the facial nerve is damaged, causing a palsy, so that the baby's mouth droops at one corner, this is usually temporary.


Mechanically, forceps employ the principle of the lever to grasp and apply pressure. Leverage redirects here. ...


Surgical forceps are commonly made of high-grade carbon steel. Lower quality steel is used in forceps made for other uses. High carbon steel ensure that the instruments can withstand repeated sterilization in high-temperature autoclaves. Some forceps, intended to be used once and then discarded, are made of plastic. Carbon steel,is very fun 2 play with also called plain carbon steel, is a metal alloy, a combination of two elements, iron and carbon, where other elements are present in quantities too small to affect the properties. ... Sterilization (or sterilisation) refers to any process that effectively kills or eliminates transmissible agents (such as fungi, bacteria, viruses and prions) from a surface, equipment, foods, medications, or biological culture medium. ... Front loading autoclaves are common Stovetop autoclaves need to be monitored carefully and are the simplest of all autoclaves Multiple large autoclaves are used for processing substantial quantities of laboratory equipment prior to reuse, and infectious material prior to disposal. ...


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, though a medical professional would not likely refer to them a such) and hinged in the middle, rather like scissors (though, unlike scissors, forceps meet on flat, grasping surfaces rather than in interposing blades). 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.

Contents

Thumb forceps

Thumb forceps are commonly held between the thumb and two or three fingers of one hand, with the top end resting on the anatomical snuff box at the base of the thumb and index finger. Spring tension at one end holds the grasping ends apart until pressure is applied. This allows one to quickly and easily grasp small objects or tissue to move and release it or to grasp and hold tissue with easily variable pressure. Thumb forceps are used to hold tissue in place when applying sutures, to gently move tissues out of the way during exploratory surgery and to move dressings or draping without using the hands or fingers. The anatomical snuffbox, or radial fossa, (in Latin Foveola Radialis), is a triangular deepening on the radial, dorsal aspect of the hand - at the level of the carpal bones, specifically, the scaphoid and trapezium bones forming the floor. ...


Thumb forceps can have smooth tips, cross-hatched tips or serrated tips (often called 'mouse's teeth'). Common arrangements of teeth are 1x2 (two teeth on one side meshing with a single tooth on the other), 7x7 and 9x9. Serrated forceps are used on tissue; counter-intuitively, teeth will damage tissue less than a smooth surface (you can grasp with less overall pressure). Smooth or cross-hatched forceps are used to move dressings, remove sutures and similar tasks.


Adson tissue forceps

Note the 1x2 "mouse's teeth" on the lower tip.



Locking forceps

Locking forceps, sometimes called clamps, are used to grasp and hold objects or tissue. When they are used to compress 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 loops to facilitate handling (see illustration, below, of Kelly Forceps). The finger loops are usually grasped by the thumb and middle or ring fingers, while the index finger helps guide the instrument. For other uses, see Artery (disambiguation). ...


The most common locking mechanism is a series of interlocking teeth located near the finger loops. As the forceps are closed, the teeth engage and keep the instrument's grasping surfaces from separating. A simple shift of the fingers is all that is needed to dis-engage the teeth and allow the grasping ends to move apart. Forceps are also used for surgery.


Kelly forceps

Kelly forceps, shown closed and open
Kelly forceps, shown closed and open

Kelly forceps (also known as Mosquito or Rochester forceps) are a type of hemostat usually made of stainless steel. They resemble a pair of scissors with the blade replaced by a blunted grip. They also feature a locking mechanism to allow them to act as clamps. Kelly hemostats are distinguished from the crile variety, in part, by their cross-hatched grip pattern, as opposed to a simple system of grooves. Kelly forceps may be floor grade (regular use) and as such not used for surgery. It may also be sterilized and used in operations, in both human and veterinary medicine. They may be either curved or straight. In surgery, they may be used for holding off blood vessels or tissues, as general purpose clamps, or for assorted other purposes. The name comes from its original manufacturer. The "Mosquito" variant of the tool is more delicate and have smaller, finer tips. A similar tool is the Carmalt, which is heavier and longer. Hemostats, curved and straight tip. ... Different types of scissors - sewing, kitchen, paper Scissors are a tool used for cutting thin material which requires little force. ... Albrecht Dürer, Veronica, 1513. ... “Surgeon” redirects here. ... Veterinary medicine is the application of medical diagnostic and therapeutic principles to companion, domestic, exotic, wildlife, and production animals. ... f you all The blood vessels are part of the circulatory system and function to transport blood throughout the body. ...


Forceps in childbirth

Forceps can be used to assist the delivery of a baby as an alternative to the ventouse method. See forceps in childbirth. The term baby can refer to: an infant a very early computer—the Small-Scale Experimental Machine, nicknamed Baby a musician – Brian Williams – who performs under the name Baby. ... Ventouse is a vacuum device used to assist the delivery of a baby when labour has not progressed adequately. ... Forceps can be used to assist the delivery of a baby as an alternative to the ventouse method. ...


  Results from FactBites:
 
eMedicine - Forceps Delivery : Article Excerpt by Michael G Ross (1297 words)
Generally, forceps consist of 2 mirror image metal instruments that are maneuvered to cradle the fetal head and are articulated, after which traction is applied to effect delivery.
Forceps delivery is classified according to the level and position of the head in the birth canal at the time the forceps are applied.
Low forceps: The leading point of the fetal skull is at a station greater than or equal to +2 cm and is not on the pelvic floor; any degree of rotation may be present.
Forceps - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (430 words)
Forceps are a hand-held instrument used for grasping and holding objects, similar in concept to tongs, tweezers or pincers.
Tissue forceps have small teeth near their tips, so that tissue can be handled without applying excessive pressure.
Forceps can be used to assist the delivery of a baby as an alternative to the ventouse method.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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