Surgical instruments - Classifications

There are several classes of surgical instruments:

Graspers, especially tweezers and forceps

Clamps and occluders for blood vessels and other organs

Retractors, used to spread open skin, ribs and other tissue

Distractors, positioners and stereotactic devices

Mechanical cutters (scalpels, lancets, drill bits, rasps, trocars, etc.)

Dilators and speculae, for access to narrow passages or incisions

Suction tips and tubes, for removal of bodily fluids

Irrigation and injection needles, tips and tubes, for introducing fluid

Powered devices, such as drills, dermatomes

Scopes and probes, including fiber optic endoscopes and tactile probes

Carriers and appliers for optical, electronic and mechanical devices

Ultrasound tissue disruptors, cryotomes and cutting laser guides

Measurement devices, such as rulers and calipers

An important relative distinction, regarding surgical instruments, is the amount of bodily disruption or tissue trauma that their use might cause the patient. Terms relating to this issue are 'atraumatic' and minimally invasive. Minimally invasive systems are an important recent development in surgery. In the future, they devices will include many microscopic autonomous and directed devices.