From flintstone to diamond blade: a new multifunctional instrument for use in coronary surgery

We report on the development and clinical application of a diamond surgical knife specially designed for the preparation, initial incision, and bidirectional enlargement of coronary arteries. The ergonomic design of the knife enables the performance of all the necessary steps in a coronary incision with a single instrument and obviates the need for different shaped knives and scissors during preparation. The lasting sharpness of the diamond blade results in a far cleaner, less traumatic, cutting edge as can be demonstrated by scanning electron micrographs of incised coronary walls after the use of various types of coronary knives and scissors.