Mosquito Forceps – Straight – 12.5 cm

The moment after a nail is split is the moment things go wrong. The section has to come out cleanly, in one piece, without tearing at the sulcus — and that needs a grip that will not slip.

Mosquito Forceps give you that grip. The fine, transversely serrated jaws close on a nail spike, a fragment or a swab and hold it, and the ratchet lock means you can set the tension and take your hand away entirely. The instrument keeps hold while you reposition, reach for something else, or rotate the section free.

Straight jaws suit direct, in-line access — you approach the nail fold along the same axis your hand is already working on, without the tip curving away from your line of sight. At 12.5 cm the instrument stays balanced in a pen or ring grip and does not overhang a small treatment field.

The box joint keeps the tips in alignment, which is what fine forceps live or die by: jaws that meet at the very tip still hold a fragment months from now. Made from stainless steel and fully autoclavable.

For use by podiatrists, nurses and other suitably trained clinicians.

Key Benefits

• Take hold of a split nail section and withdraw it in one piece
• Set the ratchet and let go — the forceps hold while your hands do something else
• Fine tips that reach into the sulcus without crowding the field
• Serrated jaws that keep their grip on a slippery fragment or a wet swab
• Straight approach that keeps the tip in your line of sight
• Tips that still meet accurately after months of autoclave cycles
• Priced to keep several on the tray rather than one on the bench

Features

• Fine, tapered straight jaws with transverse serrations
• Multi-position ratchet lock for adjustable, hands-free tension
• Box joint construction maintains tip alignment under load
• 12.5 cm length, balanced for fine chair-side work
• Ring handles for controlled, familiar operation
• Stainless steel construction, corrosion resistant
• Fully autoclavable and reusable

How to Use

1. Confirm the forceps have been cleaned and sterilised before use.
2. Check the tips meet cleanly along their full length and that the ratchet engages and releases freely.
3. Hold the instrument with your thumb and ring finger in the handles and your index finger along the shank for control.
4. Position the jaw tips on the fragment, tissue or swab you intend to hold, working in line with your own clinical training and your practice protocol.
5. Close the handles until the ratchet engages, using the lowest setting that holds securely.
6. Release by pressing the handles gently apart laterally rather than forcing them open.
7. After use, open the forceps fully, clean thoroughly and pay particular attention to the serrations and the box joint.
8. Dry, lubricate the joint and sterilise following your practice's decontamination procedure.
9. Store in the open, unratcheted position to preserve the spring and inspect the tips before the next use.

Ideal For

• Podiatry clinics and foot-care rooms
• Withdrawing nail sections during partial nail avulsion (PNA)
• Gripping nail spikes and fragments at the sulcus
• Holding swabs and dressings during minor procedures
• Clamping small vessels and applying focused pressure
• Pairing with the Thwaites Nail Splitter as part of a nail surgery set

Important Care and Safety

• Professional use only. Intended for podiatrists, nurses and other clinicians trained in minor procedures, and not suitable for use at home.
• Clean, dry and sterilise before first use and between every patient, following your practice's decontamination policy.
• Inspect the tips, ratchet and box joint before each use. Withdraw the instrument from service if the tips no longer meet or the ratchet slips.
• Use the lowest ratchet setting that holds securely. Over-tightening damages both the tissue and the instrument.
• Do not use the forceps to grip wire, needles or hard material — this springs the jaws and ruins tip alignment.
• Open the joint fully during cleaning so that debris does not remain in the serrations or the box joint.
• Dry thoroughly and lubricate the joint after cleaning to prevent corrosion and stiffness.
• Store unratcheted. Leaving the ratchet engaged in storage fatigues the shanks over time.
• Keep out of reach of children.