Prototype of Low-Cost Microvascular Clips for Laboratory Use

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Surgical Instrumentation

Background:

• Vascular neurosurgery relies on specialized clips for treating aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and bypass surgeries.
• Standard surgical clips require high-quality materials, precise design, adequate closing force, and biocompatibility, leading to high costs that limit accessibility in research settings.
• The prohibitive price of commercial surgical clips restricts their availability in experimental surgery laboratories globally.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a cost-effective technique for manufacturing handcrafted surgical clips.
• To provide an accessible alternative for essential surgical tools in research and specific clinical applications.
• To enable wider use of surgical clips in experimental settings and low-flow bypass procedures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized dental stainless steel or titanium wire (0.18-0.22 mm diameter) for clip fabrication.
• Employed a six-step manual process using basic tools like electrician needle-nose pliers for wire molding.
• Developed a technique for creating functional, low-cost surgical clips through manual craftsmanship.

Main Results:

• Handcrafted clips exhibit a closing force of 30-60 gr/cm², suitable for vascular microsurgery.
• The clips are effective for temporary use in low-flow bypass procedures, such as artery-to-artery anastomoses.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of using these clips in experimental surgery laboratories for clipping arteries and veins.

Conclusions:

• Practical, low-cost surgical clips can be manufactured for laboratory procedures and temporary use in low-flow anastomosis.
• Key advantages include significantly reduced cost and universal availability of raw materials.
• A notable disadvantage is the learning curve associated with mastering the clip manufacturing technique.