Looking for help regarding decapod microsurgery

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tex the Knife
  • Start date Start date
AI Thread Summary
Microsurgery on young male decapods is challenging due to difficulties in gripping and extracting the vas deferens without slipping. The current forceps, sourced from Fine Science Tools, are the right size but require improved technique for effective use. A micromanipulator was considered but deemed unsuitable due to the need for flexibility with live specimens. Alternatives like micro-suctioning or small-vessel cauterizers were discussed, but concerns about trauma to the tissue and cost were raised. Developing better technique and exploring additional resources for microsurgical methods are essential for success in this delicate procedure.
Tex the Knife
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
I'm doing microsurgery on young, live male decapods (.3g-.5g) and am having trouble finding forceps that will grip and extract the vas deferens through muscle tissue without slipping. The forceps I am now using have a straight tip (.05mm x .2mm) and are the perfect size. While I am comfortable working with a dissection microscope, getting used to forceps this small has been an obstacle. Even with a light touch the vas deferens slips through the tips, and the slightest bump against the carapace bends the tips. It's like trying to pull a thread of oil out of a block of ballistics gelatin. Is there a specific type of forceps I should be using for this kind of work, and if so what? I'm sure a lot of this boils down to a learning curve for technique, so any help on where to find additional resources for this type of work is also greatly appreciated, as would good reference sources for microsurgical techiques.

Thanks
Tex
 
Biology news on Phys.org
Have you searched either Fine Science Tools or WPI for products?

Also, have you considered using a micromanipulator to hold the tool?
 
Andy Resnick said:
Have you searched either Fine Science Tools or WPI for products?

Also, have you considered using a micromanipulator to hold the tool?

Yes, the forceps I am using came from FST. They work great, except for my not being able to grip the internal tissues with them. That's why I think a lot of it comes down to developing a good technique in using them. I've never worked with forceps this small (.05mm x .2mm) before.

The micromanipulator is an excellent idea, but won't allow for the range of motion required to accomplish the task. Because these animals are alive, they move. Sometimes they flip over and other times they move legs, which requires a free-moving tool to get them out of the way. There is also a lot of probing within the wound opening.

I've considered using some kind of micro-suctioning device, but that might be too traumatizing. The other option would be using one of the small-vessel cauterizers on the market to incinerate the tissue. If I could totally destroy a sphere of tissue ~1mm in diameter it would probably work, but I might have the same trauma problem as with suctioning. Plus I could destroy more than 10 pair of forceps for the cost of one cauterizer.
 

Thread 'Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)'

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/body-dysmorphia/ Most people have some mild apprehension about their body, such as one thinks their nose is too big, hair too straight or curvy. At the extreme, cases such as this, are difficult to completely understand. https://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/other/why-would-someone-want-to-amputate-healthy-limbs/ar-AA1MrQK7?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=68ce4014b1fe4953b0b4bd22ef471ab9&ei=78 they feel like they're an amputee in the body of a regular person "For...
View full post »
Thread 'Did they discover another descendant of homo erectus?'

Thread 'Did they discover another descendant of homo erectus?'

The study provides critical new insights into the African Humid Period, a time between 14,500 and 5,000 years ago when the Sahara desert was a green savanna, rich in water bodies that facilitated human habitation and the spread of pastoralism. Later aridification turned this region into the world's largest desert. Due to the extreme aridity of the region today, DNA preservation is poor, making this pioneering ancient DNA study all the more significant. Genomic analyses reveal that the...
View full post »

Thread 'Warning of new opiod drug (nitazene) on the streets: Question re strength...'

Whenever these opiods are mentioned they usually mention that e.g. fentanyl is "50 times stronger than heroin" and "100 times stronger than morphine". Now it's nitazene which the public is told is everything from "much stronger than heroin" and "200 times stronger than fentany"! Do these numbers make sense at all? How do they arrive at them? Kill thousands of mice? En passant: nitazene have already been found in both Oxycontin pills and in street "heroin" here, so Naloxone is more...
View full post »

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top