Tweezers and Forceps

- Genuine Dumont Forceps
- Micro Dissecting Forceps
- Tissue Forceps
- Hemostatic Forceps
- Delicate Hemostatic Forceps
- Atraumatic Hemostatic Forceps
- Tube Occluding Forceps
- Sponge Forceps

Click here to browse the entire Tweezers and Forceps selection in our online store.

FAQ's
These are all common questions that we receive from our customers. If you have a question about any of our products, please email us at: info@roboz.com

What are the finest Dumont forceps?

The "biologie" tip style is generally the finest forceps tip for any forceps pattern. "Biologie" tips are about twice as fine as "standard" tips. The dimensions for a standard tip for a Pattern 5 are 0.10mm width and 0.06mm thickness. A Pattern 5 biologie tip has a 0.05mm width and 0.01mm thickness. Visit our web store for a wide selection of patterns and tip styles for Dumont Forceps.

UPDATE: We have recently added the new Dumont #5SF Super Fine tipped forceps to our surgical instrument selection which, with tip measurements of .025 x .005mm are the finest Dumont tweezers available. You can see them here.

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What are Jansen Forceps?

The RS-8298 Jansen forceps have jaws with a unique bayonet shape. The jaws are offset from and parallel to the remainder of the handle. The RS-8290 Lucae forceps have a similar bayonet configuration.

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Why are my RS-5035 forceps delivered with an oily coating on then?

The RS-5035, and certain other forceps, are made of carbon steel. The carbon steel material has no corrosion protection in its composition. It is normal for this material to corrode when exposed to moisture and oxygen in room air. Carbon steel instruments are shipped with an oily coating to protect them from corroding. For continued protection after cleaning and during storage, carbon steel instruments should be covered with a thin layer of mineral oil.

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May I flash-sterilize my forceps in an open flame?

Flash sterilization by autoclave is an acceptable practice. Flash sterilization, when it refers to placing the instrument tip into a flame, is not recommended. For instruments with finer tips it will likely damage the tip.

The temperature of metal tips can get very high quickly. High temperatures can easily change the structure and characteristics of the metal. Often the tips become soft, they might warp out of alignment, or they may become extremely brittle. This warning applies to tweezers, scissors, and other fine surgical instruments.

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What is a tying platform?

A tying platform is a slightly elevated surface near the tip of the forceps to aid in suturing. The elevated surface catches the suture to help make a knot.

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Which Roboz tweezers should I use to pick up microscope slides?

The RS-8260 Kuehne Micro Dissecting Forceps are recommended for picking up slides and cover glass. They have a unique thin flat, angled, bill-like tip that allows the fine glass to slip onto its tip easily.

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Why do some instruments have gold or black handles?

In addition to regular scissor designs Roboz also supplies scissors with tungsten carbide blades or with the Sure Cut design. The handle colors differentiate these special scissors from other scissors. In the past only a gold coating was used. Currently either gold or black is used.

A black ring handle identifies that scissor as a Sure Cut scissor. This is a special scissor design that incorporates a razor edge on one blade and a serrated blade on the other. This design makes it easy to cut soft tissue without crushing. A Sure-cut scissor creates a sharp, clean, smooth cut.

A scissor with two gold ring handles has tungsten carbide inserts on the blade edge. Carbide is a very hard metal that will maintain a sharp edge much longer than stainless steel. It is preferred for use in cutting cartilage and fur.

Roboz offers carbide instruments in forceps and needle holders as well. These instruments also are identified by gold handles.

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Tech Notes
Tech Notes contain additional information on the features and applications of our instruments.

Tweezers Material Reference Guide

Summary: Descriptions of the 6 alloys used for our micro tweezers.

There are 6 different alloys to choose from when selecting a micro tweezers. The information below is provided to help you compare the various alloys and their respective properties. The six different alloys are carbon steel, titanium, stainless steel, Inox, Dumoxel, and Dumostar.

Carbon Steel: At Rockwell 60, carbon steel is one of the hardest tweezers' materials. Carbon steel tips are very durable but the hardness makes carbon steel tips more brittle than other steels. Carbon steel is also highly magnetic and stains easily. It will rust if exposed to water for any length of time.

Titanium: While not as hard as some of the other alloys (Rockwell 37 at the tips), titanium tips are very flexible. A unique property of titanium is that it is 33% lighter than other stainless alloys. Titanium is extremely corrosion and stain resistant, making it the preferred choice for salt water uses. Titanium also has a high heat resistance, in excess of 400 degrees Celsius, and is completely non-magnetic.

Stainless Steel: The common name for various alloys composed of carbon steel and chromium. There are many different types and grades of stainless steel. Alloys considered stainless exhibit good stain resistance and have varying degrees magnetism. Stainless steel is less likely to show damage but it can still rust, corrode, pit, and be affected by chemicals and environmental conditions.

Inox: Inox is a specific stainless alloy composed of carbon steel and chromium. Inox tips are more flexible than pure carbon steel but not as hard (Rockwell 55) . Inox has good stain resistance and is magnetic.

Dumoxel: One of the most popular tweezer alloys, Dumoxel is even more stain resistant than Inox and is highly corrosion resistant. With a Rockwell 36 at the tips, tweezers made from this alloy have very soft, flexible tips. Dumoxel is non-magnetic and exhibits high temperature resistance.

Dumostar: This new alloy is a blend of steel, chromium, nickel, and cobalt and has many of the best features of the other alloys. Dumostar is heat resistant to over 500 degrees Celsius and is completely non-magnetic. It is extremely corrosion resistant and is one of the harder alloys at Rockwell 62. However, because of its unique composition, Dumostar tips are very flexible, are resistant to fatigue, and are capable of flexing far beyond other alloys without permanently deforming. This alloy is far superior in overall performance than any other material available today!

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Micro Tweezers

Summary: How to choose the right micro tweezers for your research application.

Micro tweezers are useful in a variety of different applications. Common uses include micro dissection of tissue and vessels, and processing tissue in electron microscopy procedures.

Micro tweezers come in a wide variety of tip sizes, shapes, and materials. To choose the best tweezers for your application keep in mind the size of the animal and/or tissue you are working with. The type of cleaning and sterilization you require may affect the material you choose (consult the Tweezers Material Reference Guide for a discussion of differences between tweezers' materials). For example, if you require autoclaving and you are working under a microscope on a mouse the thinnest-tipped forceps made of stainless steel, titanium, Dumostar, INOX, and Dumoxel are good choices.

Carbon steel instruments may not be the best choice for use where there is constant exposure to water. If not handled properly, carbon steel is likely to rust if exposed to water for a length of time. Though not recommended by Roboz Surgical, flash flame decontamination could be used on carbon steel tweezers because this material is less likely to be damaged by high heat. The extreme heat from flash flame decontamination changes the molecular structure of most material adversely. High heat softens metal and shortens the useful life of instruments. Consider another method of decontamination where lower heat levels can be applied (such as the Roboz DS-401 Germinator) to keep your instruments useful for many more years.

You will often see tweezers available in the Biologie pattern. Biologie tips are about twice as fine as standard tips. Some tweezers are available with a mirror finish and some in a matte finish. Make a choice between the two finishes based on personal preferences- there is no quality difference between the two. A mirror finish may look clean and will be more reflective under bright light than a matte finish. A Matte finish will not show smudges easily and the surface provides more of a grip. Both are high quality and protect the instrument equally.

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Foerster Forceps

Summary: The unique characteristic of the Foerster forceps is its handle.

The unique characteristic of the RS-5100, RS-5101, and RS-5102 Foerster Forceps is the octagonal handle. The unique handle is designed to provide more "feel" and control at the tip. This handle also provides a better grip while wearing gloves. The tips are very fine and serrated and provide a sure, steady grip of tissue without trauma. The Foerester forceps are excellent for fine dissection of mice and dissection under a microscope.

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Singley Forceps

Summary: The Singley forceps are designed to hold the heart of rats without the tip damaging the heart.

The RS-5255 Singley heart holding forceps are designed to hold the heart of rats without being concerned about a sharp tip damaging the heart. A pin and screw allows you to adjust the opening of the tip to accommodate different size hearts. The pin and screw also holds the tip steady and in position to keep your hands free to conduct other steps of the procedure.

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Round Handle Forceps & Scissors

Summary: Round handled forceps can be used in a variety of surgical situations.

Round handled forceps (Roboz item numbers RS-5260 through RS-5264) can be used in a variety of surgical situations. The feature of this instrument is its long, narrow tip which is helpful in procedures where you need to grasp and manipulate fine, small tissue in deep cavities. The unusual round, textured grip provides great control of the instrument and the tip. The box style handle provides a "non slip" grip for even more control, particularly when wearing gloves. The round handle style is also manufactured in a spring action scissor (Roboz item number RS-5693). As with the round handle forceps, fine tissue in a deep cavity is easier to manipulate and cut with a long narrow tip.

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Tube Occluding Forceps

Summary: Tube occluding forceps are a useful tool where blockage of a tube is necessary.

Tube occluding forceps can be used in almost any surgery where fluid or blood in tubes needs to be stopped. One such surgical procedure is when a perfusion is involved. During perfusions blood flow is re-directed from the heart to a series of tubes that directs the blood back to the patient's tissue. The tube occluding forceps are ideal when flow of blood must temporarily be stopped. They tightly grasp the tube and can be set and kept in place.

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DeBakey Forceps

Debakey forceps are vascular forceps specially designed to grasp vascular tissue with minimal damage to the vessel. The design that minimizes the potential of damage is often described as atraumatic (meaning non-traumatic) and is used in other instruments as well.

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Stainless Steel Qualities

Summary: Stainless steel is a metal which resists rust, can be ground to a fine point, and retains a sharp edge.

Stainless steel is a metal which resists rust, can be ground to a fine point, and retains a sharp edge. Its composition can be altered to enhance certain qualities. For example, a manufacturer can make a scissor of stainless steel with carbon to create a harder cutting edge on a scissor. It is the carbon in the stainless steel that makes the scissor stronger but the carbon makes the instrument more susceptible to rust and corrosion. A quality surgical instrument achieves a proper balance of the material characteristics in order to provide an instrument appropriate for its use. All stainless steel can stain, pit, and rust if not cared for properly. Please consult our web page or our catalog for care and handling instructions.

Manufacturers subject instruments to a passivation and polishing process in order to make the steel as stain-resistant as possible. Passivation and polishing removes the carbon molecules from the instrument surface, forming a layer which acts as a corrosion resistant seal. This passivation process can also occur through repeated exposure to oxidizing agents in chemicals, soaps, and the atmosphere. Polishing creates a smooth surface on the instrument. It is extremely important to polish an instrument because the passivation process leaves microscopic pits where the carbon molecules were removed. Polishing also builds a layer of chromium oxide on the surface of the instrument. Through regular handling and sterilization the layer of chromium oxide will build up and protect the instrument from corrosion. In some circumstances, that is why older instruments seem to be less subject to corrosion than newer instruments. The newer instruments have not had the time to build up the chromium oxide layer. Improper cleaning and sterilization can cause the protective layer of chromium oxide to disappear or become damaged, increasing the possibility of corrosion. That is why it is so important to properly clean, sterilize, and store your instruments.

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Staining of Surgical Instruments

Summary: Stains can either be plated or deposited on the surface of an instrument.

Stains are discoloration of metal by material being just added to the surface of the metal. Stains are often mistaken for rust- an actual change to the metal material. A brown/orange color stain is the most common and is often mistaken for rust. The brown/orange color stain is usually a phosphate deposit on the instrument. Phosphate can come from traces of minerals in the autoclave water source, a dirty autoclave, high alkaline or acidic detergents, surgical wrappings, and dried blood or tissue. Hot steam in the autoclave deposits the phosphate and produces the stain on the instrument’s surface. Remove this type of stain from the instrument by rubbing with a pencil eraser (rust cannot be removed by an eraser).

A brown/orange stain or a blue-black stain can occur from plating during the cleaning or autoclaving process. Through electrolysis when dissimilar metals touch while being autoclaved, ultrasonically cleaned, or sometimes even stored together, plated stains actually bond the stain material to the instrument metal. They do not often change the metal material except for the discoloration. These stains are very difficult to remove and should be sent to a surgical instrument service facility for refinishing.

Black stains are usually due to an acid reaction. An acidic detergent deposit left on the instrument during autoclaving might cause a black stain. Always use neutral pH detergents and distilled deionized water in your autoclave process, and be sure to completely rinse instruments before autoclaving.

Multi-colored stains or chromium oxide stains result from excessive heat. These rainbow colored stains indicate the instrument may have lost some of its original hardness after being heated. Cutting edges loose their sharpness quickly when hardness is reduced. Flash flame decontamination ( an instrument is decontaminated by inserting it into a flame for a few seconds) changes the molecular structure of most material adversely, shortening the useful life of instruments. Consider another method of decontamination where lower heat levels can be applied (such as the Roboz DS-401 Germinator) to keep your instruments useful for many more years.

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