Editing Forceps (section)

{{short description|Handheld, hinged instrument used for grasping and holding objects}}
[[File:Forceps plastic.jpg|thumb|Plastic forceps are intended to be disposable]]

'''Forceps''' ({{plural form}}: '''forceps'''<ref name=ahd>{{cite American Heritage Dictionary|forceps |access-date=2018-08-30}}</ref><ref name=mw>{{cite Merriam-Webster|forceps |access-date=2018-08-30}}</ref> or considered a [[plurale tantum|plural noun without a singular]], often '''a pair of forceps''';<ref name=cambridge>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/forceps?a=british. |title=forceps |encyclopedia=[[Cambridge English Dictionary]] |access-date=2018-08-30}}</ref><ref name=oxford>{{cite web |url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/forceps |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201043740/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/forceps |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |title=forceps - Definition of forceps in English by Oxford Dictionaries |website=Oxford Dictionaries - English |access-date=2018-08-30}}</ref> the Latin plural ''forcipes'' is no longer recorded in most dictionaries)<ref name=ahd/><ref name=mw/><ref name=cambridge/><ref name=oxford/> are a handheld, hinged instrument used for grasping and holding objects. Forceps are used when fingers are too large to grasp small objects or when many objects need to be held at one time while the hands are used to perform a task. The term "forceps" is used almost exclusively in the fields of biology and medicine.{{Citation needed|reason=in many sciences they are referred to as foreceps|date=August 2019}} Outside biology and medicine, people usually refer to forceps as [[tweezers]], [[tongs]], [[pliers]], clips<!-- went to disambiguation page --> or [[Clamp (tool)|clamps]].

Mechanically, forceps employ the principle of the [[lever]] to grasp and apply pressure.

Depending on their function, basic surgical forceps can be categorized into the following groups:
# Non-disposable forceps. They should withstand various kinds of physical and chemical effects of body fluids, secretions, cleaning agents, and sterilization methods. 
# Disposable forceps. They are usually made of lower-quality materials or plastics which are disposed after use.

[[Surgery|Surgical]] forceps are commonly made of high-grade [[carbon steel]], which ensures they can withstand repeated [[Sterilization (microbiology)|sterilization]] in high-temperature [[autoclave]]s. Some are made of other high-quality [[stainless steel]], [[chromium]] and [[vanadium]] alloys to ensure durability of edges and freedom from rust. Lower-quality steel is used in forceps made for other uses. Some [[disposable]] forceps are made of [[plastic]]. The invention of surgical forceps is attributed to [[Stephen Hales]].<ref>Scientific American inventions and discoveries By Rodney P. Carlisle.</ref>

There are two basic types of forceps: non-locking (often called "thumb forceps" or "pick-ups") and locking, though these two types come in dozens of specialized forms for various uses.{{Citation needed|reason=in many sciences they are referred to as foreceps|date=August 2019}} Non-locking forceps also come in two basic forms: hinged at one end, away from the grasping end (colloquially such forceps are called tweezers) and hinged in the middle, rather like [[scissors]]. Locking forceps are almost always hinged in the middle, though some forms place the hinge very close to the grasping end. Locking forceps use various means to lock the grasping surfaces in a closed position to facilitate manipulation or to independently clamp, grasp or hold an object.