Called the Colorado Needle, tungsten micro-dissection needles were invented by Colorado Biomedical, with the corresponding US patent 4,927,420 issued in 1990.
The first tungsten tips for micro-dissection needles were manufactured using a manual process, one needle at at time. Not only was this time consuming and expensive but the quality was inadequate and too inconsistent for a surgical instrument.
Due to the properties of the tungsten material, trials with point grinding machines failed to yield an acceptable point geometry and sharpness.
In 1996, Selbach Machinery L.L.C., together with a university in Germany, developed a proprietary process that consistently produces tungsten tips for micro-dissection needles with tip radii as small as 1 my (0.001 mm). This ECM process not only prevents any potential damage to the ultra-sharp tip, but is also more efficient and guarantees consistent point geometry during surgery.
Today, premium ultra-sharp tungsten tips for micro-dissection needles are produced in high volume using an ECM (electro-chemical-machining) process, sometimes called a “reverse electro plating process”. With over 20 years experience in the production of tungsten electrodes, pins, and tips, Selbach Machinery L.L.C. became the preferred supplier for tungsten tips for micro-dissection needles.