Post mortem probes explore wound tracks and tissue planes during autopsy, a slender shaft that transmits tissue density to the hand while displacing as little as possible. Peak Surgicals supplies two 6-inch patterns, fish tail and eye, in stainless steel at $27.50. Both are CE marked and built under ISO 13485. See both probes in the grid below.

Fish Tail or Eye: Which Probe for Which Task?

The Silver Probe Fish Tail ($27.50) carries a flattened, flared tip that both probes and gently lifts tissue, while the Silver Plated Probe With Eye ($27.50) has an aperture near the tip for threading and guiding, the fish tail explores and retracts, the eye probe leads a ligature or seton through a track. The terminal end is the whole distinction, and it decides which task each suits.

The fish tail's advantage over a plain ball-end probe is the flat surface: where a ball end follows a specific track, the fish tail's flared terminal doubles as a miniature elevator, lifting or retracting tissue to expose the area being explored. In forensic pathology this matters for probing wound tracks and examining internal structures where visibility is limited. The Silver Probe Fish Tail (PS-P-00025) carries a 152mm shaft slender enough to minimise tissue displacement while transmitting subtle density changes to the hand. The Silver Plated Probe With Eye (PS-P-00024) serves the guiding role — its eye threads material to lead through a tract or expand a fascia incision. Both work across autopsy, veterinary and laboratory dissection. We supply each at MOQ 1.

Material, Reprocessing and Certification

Both probes are built for the reprocessing that a mortuary or pathology instrument sees — stainless steel that withstands repeated sterilisation without degradation. The eye aperture on the eye probe is the reprocessing point that benefits from attention: tissue and fluid lodge in the opening, so it should be brushed clear and ultrasonic-cleaned before autoclaving. The fish tail terminal is inspected for burrs, since a probe drawn along a wound track should present a smooth surface.

Both instruments are Class I, reusable, CE marked and built under ISO 13485 — the documentation a supply team verifies before qualifying a vendor. Warranty is one year with return-and-replacement, MOQ is 1 piece, orders over $99 ship free in carton box packing, and OEM marking is available for distributors. For the full autopsy range see post mortem instruments; for general and grooved probes see probes and directors. Talk to us about OEM and volume terms.