The most common material used in the process of manufacturing medical instruments is steel. Steel is one of the few materials that combine several important properties: very little interaction with the human body (inertia), hardness, durability and a relatively low price.
When did steel enter the medical field?
A few thousand years ago, ancient physicians used various tools to help them with surgery, dentistry, and other medical procedures. One of the most common materials was obsidian, a stone with a high hardness. It was almost the Middle Ages, when metals began to be more often present in medicine, especially iron tools. However, they were not of very good quality, and their chemical composition did not meet modern hygiene requirements. Such instruments oxidized, having negative reactions in contact with the human body, during contact with internal organs and open wounds. Most of the time, they caused damage more than they helped.
Steel tools spread only with the improvement of stainless steel production processes, in the early twentieth century. Their number and scope have increased. For example, in surgery, stainless steel instruments for instance a Ankeney retractor for cardio surgeries have firmly found their place. It seems that about 1% of the stainless steel produced in the world is used in medicine.
Other materials used by surgical instrument manufacturers include titanium, platinum, palladium and tantalum.
First Posted here: What Are The Most Common Materials Used In To Manufacture Surgical Instruments
source https://blog.apiarymedical.com/what-are-the-most-common-materials-used-in-to-manufacture-surgical-instruments/
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