The success of the procedure performed in surgical operations and the good result achieved after the operation show the quality of the selected surgical needle. Stainless steel is generally used in the production of atraumatic surgical needles produced for surgical sutures.
Stainless steel surgical needles contain chromium to become resistant to corrosion. In addition, the precipitation of intermetallic compounds such as Ni3Ti, and the heating of the metal and quenching with air, and rapid cooling, the hardening process is also achieved.
Intercalarily, atraumatic surgical needles to be used during surgical operations with surgical sutures can undergo electro polishing. On the other hand, electro-polishing process is to obtain surface smoothness by removing bumps on the surface microscopically under electric current and anodic current of stainless parts. To explain more simply, this process is the situation of removing the surface roughness and providing the brightness by removing the parts from the metal surface by electrolysis. Also, this process, which is the opposite of the electroplating process, is based on the metal removal principle. In this way, corrosion resistance is given to the material along with a good appearance and sufficient functionality. However, different operating parameters and different formulations are applied for each metal.
Additionally, after the polishing process, atraumatic surgical needles are covered with medical grade silicone and have a completely smooth and slippery structure. This silicone structure also provides maximum durability to the surgical needle.
Consequently, for surgical atraumatic needles, there is a double-stage sharpening process, which is performed as another procedure and is made from the ends of the needles by giving two different angles. This procedure allows atraumatic surgical needles to penetrate through the hardest tissues without causing trauma. Also, it is important to ensure biocompatibility between tissue and product during surgical operations. A perfect penetration comfort is provided during tissue transition with the sharpening process.
Alloying elements in stainless steel:
• Carbon (C)
• Manganese (Mn)
• Chromium (Cr)
• Sulfur (S)
• Silicon (Si)
• Phosphorus (P)
• Copper (Cu)
• Titanium (Ti)
• Silicon
• Nitrogen (N)
Along with difference in the fractions of these elements, parameters such as the strength, corrosion resistance and strength values of stainless steel vary.