What is the difference between a standard and a delicate dissecting forceps in the MEDLANE catalogue?

They are two distinct series within the 309xx range: the “Standard Norma” series, for example reference 30932P (180 mm without teeth), and the “Standard Delicate” series, for example reference 30901P (115 mm with teeth). Each series comes in several lengths and in configurations with or without teeth; the exact configuration is carried by the reference.

How do you recognise an Adson forceps?

On the catalogue photographs, the Adson architecture is read from its silhouette: broad shanks near the spring that taper markedly to a narrow tip. MEDLANE references it without teeth (29518, 29519) and with teeth (29520, 29521), as well as in a micro very fine version (29525).

What is a DeBakey dissecting forceps?

In the MEDLANE catalogue, DeBakey dissecting forceps are designated as atraumatic and available by jaw width (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.7, 3.5 mm), by length and in straight or angled versions — for example 29901P (1.5, 160 mm, straight, atraumatic).

How do I know whether a MEDLANE reference has teeth or not?

The catalogue designation states it literally: “Ss Griffes” for without teeth, “a Griffes” for with teeth, and the number of teeth when specified, for example “1 X 2 Griffes” or “2 X 3 Griffes”.

Dissecting Forceps: Standard, Delicate, Adson, Gerald, Semkin, DeBakey

The dissecting forceps is the instrument a hand holds the longest. No finger rings, no ratchet: two shanks joined by a spring, and a tip that decides everything. That is where the difference between models lies.

This guide follows a deliberately simple progression: first the standard and the delicate silhouette, then the tip with or without teeth, then the architectures that carry a name — Adson, Semkin, Gerald — and finally the DeBakey atraumatic architecture.

No clinical usage advice here: only what an eye can verify on the instrument and on its reference.

Opening plate

Start with the silhouette

In the MEDLANE catalogue, the standard series of dissecting forceps is identified by references beginning with 309. It reads as two series: “Standard Norma” and “Standard Delicate”.

Full silhouette: Pince Dissection Standard Norma 180 mm Ss Griffes, MEDLANE reference 30932P — Pince Dissection Standard Norma 180 mm Ss Griffes · REF 30932P

Full silhouette: Pince Dissection Standard Delic 115 mm a Griffes, MEDLANE reference 30901P — Pince Dissection Standard Delic 115 mm a Griffes · REF 30901P

STANDARD NORMA SERIES

Anchor reference: 30932P, 180 mm, without teeth
Referenced lengths from 115 to 250 mm
Configurations without teeth, 1 × 2 teeth and 2 × 3 teeth
The exact tooth pattern is written in the designation

STANDARD DELICATE SERIES

Anchor reference: 30901P, 115 mm, with teeth
Referenced lengths from 115 to 300 mm
Configurations with and without teeth at every length
Tungsten carbide jaw versions are referenced (30917P, 30918P)

COMPARISON AT IDENTICAL CONFIGURATION · 115 mm · WITHOUT TEETH

Full silhouette: Pince Dissection Standard Norma 115 mm Ss Griffes, MEDLANE reference 30920P — Pince Dissection Standard Norma 115 mm Ss Griffes · REF 30920P

Full silhouette: Pince Dissection Standard Delic 115 mm Ss Griffes, MEDLANE reference 30902P — Pince Dissection Standard Delic 115 mm Ss Griffes · REF 30902P

Same length, same tooth configuration, two different series: this is the only comparison that truly isolates the difference between the series.

Every characteristic quoted here is the one carried by the catalogue designation of the reference shown. The exact configuration is always read from the reference and its documentation.

Analysis plate

Look at the jaws

Full instrument → observed zone → identifying detail

The same observation window and the same scale for all four references: only the instrument's position on its product plate changes.

Full silhouette of a MEDLANE Standard dissecting forceps, reference 30920P — REF 30920P

Tip detail of a MEDLANE Standard dissecting forceps, reference 30920P — REF 30920P

Full silhouette of a MEDLANE Standard dissecting forceps, reference 30919P — REF 30919P

Tip detail of a MEDLANE Standard dissecting forceps, reference 30919P — REF 30919P

Full silhouette of a MEDLANE Semkin dissecting forceps, reference 30812 — REF 30812

Tip detail of a MEDLANE Semkin dissecting forceps, reference 30812 — REF 30812

Full silhouette of a MEDLANE DeBakey dissecting forceps, reference 29901P — REF 29901P

Tip detail of a MEDLANE DeBakey dissecting forceps, reference 29901P — REF 29901P

The tip tells what the silhouette does not show.

Nomenclature

The main architectures

Four named architectures, all shown here in their toothless configuration so that the silhouettes can be compared.

Full silhouette of a MEDLANE ADSON dissecting forceps: Pince Dissection Adson 125 mm Ss Griffes upline, reference 29518 — 01ADSON
Pince Dissection Adson 125 mm Ss Griffes upline · REF 29518

Full silhouette of a MEDLANE SEMKIN dissecting forceps: Pince Dissection Semkin 130 mm Ss Griffes upline, reference 30813 — 02SEMKIN
Pince Dissection Semkin 130 mm Ss Griffes upline · REF 30813

Full silhouette of a MEDLANE GERALD dissecting forceps: Pince Dissection Gerald 180 X 1,5 mm Ss Griffes, reference 30305 — 03GERALD
Pince Dissection Gerald 180 X 1,5 mm Ss Griffes · REF 30305

Full silhouette of a MEDLANE DEBAKEY dissecting forceps: Pince Dissection Debakey 1.5 160 mm Droit Atrauma, reference 29901P — 04DEBAKEY
Pince Dissection Debakey 1.5 160 mm Droit Atrauma · REF 29901P

ADSON

Broad shanks near the spring, tapering to a narrow tip
Short format: 125 mm and 150 mm in the MEDLANE catalogue
Configurations without teeth (29518, 29519) and with teeth (29520, 29521)
A micro very fine version is referenced (29525)

SEMKIN

Short silhouette, distinct tip
In the MEDLANE catalogue: 125 mm and 130 mm
Without teeth (30811P, 30813) and with teeth (30810P in 2 × 3, 30812)
Standard and Upline series are referenced

GERALD

Elongated profile along its whole length
In the MEDLANE catalogue: 180 mm, 1.5 mm tip
Without teeth (30305) and with teeth (30304)
Tip width is carried by the designation

DEBAKEY

Architecture designated atraumatic in the catalogue
Referenced jaw widths: 1.0 · 1.5 · 2.0 · 2.7 · 3.5 mm
Lengths from 140 to 300 mm, straight and angled versions
Soft versions are also referenced

The name designates an architecture; the reference specifies its configuration.

Morphological reading

With or without teeth?

Across several families, MEDLANE references the same length both with and without teeth. Comparing two references of identical length is the only way to isolate that difference.

Standard

115 mm

Adson

125 mm

Semkin

130 mm

Gerald

The catalogue designation writes the tooth pattern literally: “Ss Griffes”, “a Griffes”, “1 X 2 Griffes”, “2 X 3 Griffes”. This guide adds no interpretation of use.

Eponyms

Behind the name

1887 — 1951

Alfred Washington Adson

American neurosurgeon. His name has remained attached to the dissecting forceps architecture he popularised.

1908 — 2008

Michael E. DeBakey

American surgeon and a major figure of cardiovascular surgery. His name today designates an atraumatic jaw architecture.

Gerald · Semkin

Like the previous ones, these names are eponyms that have become architecture designations. MEDLANE publishes no biography here that is not reliably established: in the catalogue, these names designate a morphology, not a story.

An instrument's name is first of all a description of shape.

MEDLANE catalogue

The MEDLANE range

Standard 309xx series

Pince Dissection Standard Norma 180 mm Ss Griffes

REF · 30932P· 180 mm· Without teeth

Pince Dissection Standard Delic 115 mm a Griffes

REF · 30901P· 115 mm· With teeth

Pince Dissection Standard Norma 115 mm 1 X 2 Griffes

REF · 30919P· 115 mm· 1 × 2

Pince Dissection Standard Norma 115 mm Ss Griffes

REF · 30920P· 115 mm· Without teeth

Pince Dissection Standard Norma 160 mm 2 X 3 Griffes

REF · 30928P· 160 mm· 2 × 3

Pince Dissection Standard Delic 150 mm Tungstène

REF · 30917P· 150 mm

EXPLORE IN THE CATALOGUE