James Allen News Center

Schiller Park, IL – Gone is the need for the old school stainless steel scalpel when it comes to ophthalmic surgery.  RICA Surgical Products has just released two new lines of surgical knives: the PicoDiamond™ Black Diamond and Sapphire scalpels.  The man-made diamonds and sapphires are thought to be the newest in surgical technology, being both less costly and higher quality than the traditionally-used diamond or stainless steel options.

Diamonds have been shaped as surgical knives because the well-known hardness of the material makes it easier to maintain an extremely sharp edge.  The PicoDiamond™ Black Diamond blades are made of lab-grown black diamonds.  A colorless diamond knife would be problematic in some surgeries, but advantageous in others. 

Synthetic sapphires share a lot of attributes with diamonds.  They are sharp and can be transparent, and are suitable for many surgical situations in which diamond blades would traditionally be used.  Sapphires are known to be almost equal to diamonds on the Mohs hardness scale, so they maintain their razor-sharp edges. 

"Diamond knives have been the preferred choice of many surgeons for years," says Ben Haak, Vice President of Marketing for RICA Surgical Products.  "PicoDiamond and Sapphire knives offer many of the same benefits at a lower cost of acquisition and service."

These particular blades are designed for ophthalmic use, operating on the delicate tissues of the eye and the areas of the brain relating visual function.  Sharpness, hardness, and facility are critical for these surgical tools.  Diamonds are the ideal material for this kind of work, and are the future of surgery.