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Re: Amputation Saw + Eye Drill (ooh, yechh)

To: "W. R. Gibbons" <gibbons@northpole.med.uvm.edu>, shop-talk@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: Amputation Saw + Eye Drill (ooh, yechh)
From: "Keith Conover, M.D." <kconover@pitt.edu>
Date: Sat, 8 Feb 1997 14:53:57 +0000
On  4 Feb 97 at 10:56, W. R. Gibbons wrote:


> There is a battery powered Dremel tool that takes a miniature
> circular saw.  I imagine the main drawback would be that the tool
> would need to be parallel to the limb, which would practically force
> one to cut at an angle.  I will probably get teased for suggesting
> this; people on the list already think I am overly fond of the
> Dremel.
> 

I've seen the little battery-powered Dremel tool and thought about 
getting one (for other purposes).  But I've still got two of the 
original brown Bakelite ones, and they still work fine.

Considering the Dremel tool for amputations, I can forsee two 
problems, maybe others will see a way around them.

1. The Dremel tool requires an internal NiCad of an unusual size so 
switching to disposable batteries is impossible.  And we will _not_ 
depend on rechargable batteries for such an operation.  I guess we 
could make up a battery pack for it externally and connect a wire to 
it.

2. the circular saw is not likely to be large enough for use to 
maneuver into position past all the muscle and tendon and such to get 
"in" to the bone.  And if we were to get a larger size blade, I doubt 
the Dremel would provide enough torque to cut at that large radius.

But thanks for the thought.

P.S. sorry if this grosses anyone out, but I was originally looking 
at the Dremel for drilling "rust rings" out of the eye.  (When one 
gets a piece of steel or iron embedded in the clear part of the eye, 
it's easy to get out with some anaesthetic drops, magnification, and 
a broken wooden Q-tip.  But the rust "stains" the clear cornea around 
it, and you have to get the "rust ring" out.  It's easy the next day 
after it hardens, when it scoops out neatly.  But it is nice to get 
it out right away.  An ophthalmologist friend of mine had a little 
tiny hobby drill that uses two AA cells (not much better than that, 
too), and I've been looking for one similar to it for several years.  
But none of the tool stores or hobby stores seem to have anything 
like it.  Anyone seen such a tiny cordless drill anywhere?

Thanks.

--Keith Conover, M.D., FACEP
  http://www.pitt.edu/~kconover

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