The introduction of titanium alloys in ophthalmic microsurgical instruments.

Soon after the founding of the Microsurgical Instrumentation Research Association (MICRA) in 1971, it was decided to investigate the possible use of titanium and its alloys in the production of surgical instruments suitable for use with the microscope. After an analysis of surgical instruments available at that time, it was clear to us that modifications to existing designs were required. Most surgical instruments are manufactured from high-quality stainless steel often requiring hardening by heat treatment, and thereby presenting difficulties in the manufacture of precision instruments. These technical difficulties tend to make precision instruments in this material very expensive. With the increasing use of the surgical microscope, surgeons demand even more delicate instruments, making the technical problems still greater.