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Veterinary Biopsy Forceps – Common Types & Uses
Created on 07.02
Veterinary forceps instruments are vastly different from the usual ones we see in common medical applications. A set of vet biopsy forceps may carry out the same functions, but the variation in tissue makeup between humans and animals is what drives the difference.
Before we dive into the types of vet forceps out there, let's first see what these forceps are and how they're used.
What is a Biopsy Forceps?
Biopsy forceps,
by definition, are instruments used to extract tissue, fluid, or dental samples from both humans and animals for diagnostic purposes. However, types of veterinary forceps can differ greatly from their human counterpart in terms of design, force exerted, and usage.
Veterinary forceps instruments have sharper jaws, an ergonomic handle, and stronger grips to reduce bleeding post-biopsy, especially in smaller animals. The types of forceps vet practitioners use are designed to handle tissue variation between species, offering flexibility.
Are Biopsy Forceps Critical in Veterinary Applications?
The purpose of biopsy forceps is to aid vet practitioners in sampling tissue without too much damage or bleeding to the area. Since animals are unpredictable in surgical situations, the specificity and flexibility of types of veterinary forceps help sample tissue with more ease.
There are also specific forceps types for internal and external biopsies. A forcep tool you use in an endoscopic vet biopsy procedure can look completely different from those meant for external biopsies.
Veterinary Biopsy Forceps: Are They Sterilized?
Unlike forceps for human applications, the ones used in vet medicine often come unsterilized, unless they're single-use disposables. Vets often disinfect their reusable tools before each session. Here are 3 ways you can disinfect your biopsy forceps at your clinic :
Autoclave Method
Autoclaving your biopsy forcep is, by far, the
most reliable method of disinfection. Due to the high temperatures involved, it's recommended to be used on stainless steel or other heat-resistant forceps. Here's how to do it :
- Pre-cleaning: Rinse off any remnants of blood, tissue, or fluids from the forceps
- Enzymatic cleaning: Solutions like Cidezyme help break down any remaining tissue bits enzymatically.
- Brush & Rinse: Use a soft brush to fully remove tissue traces and rinse with distilled water.
- Drying: Air-dry or use a lint-free cloth to dry your biopsy forceps.
- Autoclave: Pack the washed vet forceps into a heat-resistant, autoclave pouch and autoclave at 121–134°C (250–273°F) for 15-30 minutes.
- Cool before storage: Cool the tools in the autoclave pack to avoid condensation.
Cold Chemical Sterilization
Another common method to disinfect various types of veterinary forceps is chemical sterilization. Vets opt for this when their veterinary forceps instruments are heat-sensitive. Here's how to do a standard chemical sterilization :
- Pre-cleaning: Remove traces of tissue, blood, and fluid from your biopsy forceps.
- Immerse in disinfectant: Fully submerge tools in a strong disinfectant like glutaraldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, or peracetic acid, according to label instructions.
- Rinse: Wash off the disinfectant with sterilized water to prevent recontamination.
- Dry: Air-dry your tools or use a clean, lint-free cloth.
Gas Sterilization (ETO)
For more delicate tools, vets often turn to gas sterilization with ethylene oxide or vaporized hydrogen peroxide plasma. While pricier, this can be used for all types of tools, since the process is precisely controlled at a lower temperature. Here's what it looks like :
- Pre-cleaning: Tools are rinsed off of tissue, blood, and fluids.
- Enzymatic cleaning: Use enzyme-based detergents to fully remove any trace of biological material.
- Dry and pack: Let your veterinary forceps dry fully before packing them into ETO-friendly pouches with an exposure indicator strip.
- Preconditioning: Allow your ETO package to come to temperature at a precisely controlled 50–60°C (122–140°F) and 30–60% RH for optimal permeation.
- Load into ETO: Load the chamber at common sterilization parameters - 37–63°C (99–145°F) for 1–6 hours at an ETO concentration of 450–1,200 mg/L and a relative humidity between 40–80%. This may differ from machine to machine.
Types of Veterinary Forceps and Their Uses
Veterinary biopsy forceps can range widely in size, shape, grip strength, and flexibility. There are also different types of forceps vet practitioners use when sampling different tissues. Let's take a look at the most common veterinary forceps types and how they're used :
Endoscopic Biopsy Forceps
The most common of veterinary forceps types,
endoscopic biopsy forceps are used during a veterinary endoscopy procedure to extract internal tissue samples. These include equipment like :
- Oval cup forceps
- Serrated/Toothed forceps
- Miniature forceps
- Alligator forceps
- Fenestrated forceps
- Hot forceps
Unlike external ones, forceps used in an endoscopic biopsy are often supported by veterinary endoscopy equipment like an
otoscope, multi-functional endoscopes, and flexible imaging tools. This is so vets can accurately sample tissue without having to resort to large-scale surgeries for a simple biopsy.
External Biopsy Forceps
This type of biopsy forcep allows for sampling on the outside or during open surgery, with skin tissue, lesions, oral mucosa, and visible blood vessels. Common forceps types vets use for external applications include :
- Thumb forceps
- Tissue forceps
- Kelly forceps
- Adson forceps
- DeBakey forceps
- Potts-Smith forceps
- Rochester-Pean forceps
These tools are used on a surface level, without any form of endoscopic imaging devices. They are also common during open surgery and emergency procedures for fast and efficient biopsies, without putting the animals at risk.
Veterinary Biopsy Forceps: A Key Tool
Biopsy forceps are an indispensable tool in veterinary medicine. The varying types of veterinary forceps allow practitioners to cleanly and accurately sample tissue from different regions, lowering risk during surgical procedures.
These tools are also key to complex applications like an endoscopic vet biopsy procedure. Endoscopic forceps are designed to work with different endoscope types. If you're looking for an expert range of endoscopy forceps,
speak to our representatives for a quick and easy quote.
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