What Are the Risks of Rust on Surgical Forceps and How Can They Be Prevented?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the risks associated with rust formation on surgical forceps, specifically focusing on the materials and processes involved in their construction and maintenance. Participants explore the implications of rust in a medical context and potential preventative measures.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant observes rust forming at the V-joint of stainless steel forceps and questions the types of soldering or welding materials used in their construction.
  • Another participant explains that chromium is added to stainless steel to create a protective layer that can be compromised, leading to oxidation of the underlying iron when exposed to oxygen.
  • A different participant notes that even if the protective layer is removed, a new layer of oxide should form quickly due to the nature of stainless steel, suggesting that the forceps may not be forged from a single piece.
  • One participant clarifies that the forceps in question are a classic two-arm design, indicating that the welding at the joint may be the source of the rust, especially since the forceps are new and have not been used.
  • Another participant highlights the challenges of welding stainless steel and raises concerns about potential small holes that could harbor bacteria, suggesting sterilization methods like nitric acid or a bunsen burner flame as possible solutions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the causes of rust and the effectiveness of stainless steel's protective properties. There is no consensus on the specific materials or methods that could prevent rust in the context of surgical forceps.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about the welding process and the properties of stainless steel, but these aspects remain unresolved. The implications of rust in a medical setting and the effectiveness of proposed sterilization methods are also not fully explored.

ranjanmukhari
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Hi, Does anyone work in the medical device industry seen rust forming on Stainless Steel Forceps? The rust I am seeing is at the V-joint of the forceps and I guess the soldering/welding metal is oxidizing- Anyone has experience what kind of soldering/welding materials are used for surgical stainless steel forceps?

Thanks!
 
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I don't know about the specific steel used in medical forceps, but with regards to stainless steel in general:

The main metal added to stainless steel to make it... stainless?... is Chromium. Chromium reacts with oxygen to form a thin layer on the outside of the object, whose atoms are compact enough to "ward off" oxygen in the air. If the protective layer of Chromium Oxide is removed (which will likely happen over time at the joint of the forceps), then the steel(Iron) will oxidize because it has been exposed to oxygen in the air.
 
Barfolumu said:
If the protective layer of Chromium Oxide is removed (which will likely happen over time at the joint of the forceps), then the steel(Iron) will oxidize because it has been exposed to oxygen in the air.
But the point of stainless is that the chromium is mixed into the steel rather than a pure coating like anodization, so a new layer of oxide will immediately form.

I would have thought forceps would be forged from a single peice, these are the scissor type clamps ?
 
Barfolumu and mgb_phys,

Thanks for your response. This is not a scissor type clamp, it is a classic two arm (tongs like) design. Two arms are welded at the end. My guess was that the metal used to hold the two arms is oxidizing as these are new forceps (Never used) which eliminates the possibility of chrome layer degradation with use.

Thanks again!
 
Welding stainless is tricky - it can be done well with almost all types, but you have to know what you are doing.
The concern would be if it allows small holes for bacteria to survive an autoclave, you could possibly sterilise it with a nitric acid path or a bunsen burner flame.
 

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