Electrically heated forceps pair - has helically wound wire embedded in insulating thermally resistive plastic for tissue embedding

摘要

A pair of forceps, esp. for embedding tissue in hot liquid paraffin, is heated electrically so that the points of the forceps are maintained at a constant temp. above that of the melting point of the paraffin. This prevents the paraffin from solidifying on the forceps and thus sticking the tissue to them. A suitable resistive wire (2) is wound around the arms of the metal forceps at a suitable distance from the tips (1) of the forceps and ironlated pref. by thermally resistive plastic. A suitable, pref. low, electrical voltage is applied to the resistive wire so that a corresp. heating current flows through it. The helically wound part of the wire is embedded pref. in thermally resistive plastic (3). The end nearer the point (1) is protected by a metal ring (4).