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.
Kelly forceps Kelly 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 forceps may be floor-grade (regular use) and as such not used for
surgery. They 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 occluding
blood vessels, manipulating tissues, or for assorted other purposes. They are named for
Howard Atwood Kelly, M.D., first professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The "mosquito" variant of the tool is more delicate and has smaller, finer tips. Other varieties with similar, if more specialized, uses are Allis clamps, Babcocks, Kochers, Carmalts, and tonsils; all but the last bear the names of the surgeons who designed them.
Other medical forceps Other types of forceps include: •
Alligator forceps • Anesthesia forceps, often with smooth jaw surface for clamping
tubes such as a
double-lumen tube • Artery forceps, also known as a
hemostat • Atraumatic forceps, Debaker forceps • Biopsy forceps • Bone-cutting forceps • Bone-reduction forceps • Bone-holding forceps •
Bulldog forceps • Catheter forceps • Cilia forceps • Curettes forceps • Debaker forceps • Dermal forceps & nippers • Dressing forceps • Ear forceps • Eye forceps •
Foerster clamp • Gallbladder forceps • Gerald forceps • Harvey forceps •
Hemostatic forceps • Hysterectomy forceps • Intestinal forceps •
Magill forceps • Microsurgery forceps • Nasal forceps •
Needle holder •
Obstetrical forceps • Postmortem forceps • Splinter forceps • Sponge forceps • Spreading forceps • Sterilizer forceps • Suture sundries forceps •
Tenaculum forceps • Thoracic forceps • Thoracic surgical forceps • Thumb forceps • Tissue forceps • Tongue forceps • Tooth extracting forceps • Tubing forceps • Uterine forceps • Vulsellum forceps - used to grasp
cervical lips to visualize the cervix. ==References==