Knives/Scalpels
Knives have existed since prehistoric times but surgical knives, called scalpels, were not developed until the time of the Greeks.
The first person to describe the use of knives specifically for surgery was Hippocrates. He described the shape of the knives as being similar to a single edged blade used by Laconian soldiers at the time. The blades were commonly made from obsidian.
The Romans increased the accuracy of their scalpels by making them out of bronze. Eventually they started using steel in place of bronze
Roman bronze knife, 200 BC
During the Middle Ages all fields of science suffered from a regression as religion and superstition overtook the world. Not only were there no advancements in surgical knives, there was a plethora of decay as records and artifacts were destroyed during the 500 years of the Dark Ages.
The first major advancement in scalpels afer the time of the Romans came when Louis Pasteur began sterilizing his tools, increasing the successes of his operations.
After Pasteur’s success his methods were adopted and sterilized steel knives were the standard for another hundred years until the 1958 invention of the laser.
By 1981 lasers had been designed that could function in place of the metallic scalpels commonly used in surgeries. Lasers allowed surgeons to make more accurate incisions in difficult to reach areas as well as make smaller cuts that leave less of a scar.
Today, lasers are used in complement to the typical surgical knives. Lasers are easier to use than metal instruments and leave scars that are nearly imperceptible.
Laser Scalpel
