Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
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General product information only, not medical advice. This guide describes the instrument and how regulators and device databases classify it; it does not describe how to perform any procedure.
Short answer
A dermal curette is a hand-held surgical instrument with a loop-shaped cutting edge on a handle, used in dermatology for curettage of the skin. In the United States, curettes for general use are Class I devices under 21 CFR 878.4800 and are exempt from premarket notification, which separates them from specialty curettes (dental, ENT, uterine and others) that carry their own regulations.
Definition and scope
US patent 6,001,113 states: “The instrument used to perform curettage on the skin is termed a dermal curette.” The same patent describes the classic Fox and Piffard curettes as manual stainless steel instruments with a loop-form cutter or blade and an elongated handle. Patents are manufacturer-side background rather than regulatory text, so this guide uses the patent only for that description.
The term “dermal curette” in product catalogues and device databases covers a family of small manual instruments. It does not cover powered devices, biopsy punches or scalpels, which are different instrument types.
How it is used in practice
The patent cited above places the dermal curette in curettage of the skin. Clinical technique is a matter for trained clinicians and their institutional protocols, and is outside the scope of this guide. For the supplies that typically sit around that work in a dermatology office, see the dermatology office supply checklist. For the bedside-debridement context, see the wound care clinic supply checklist.
Types: reusable and disposable, ring and oval
Reusable and disposable
The patent describes two construction approaches. Reusable curettes are “regarded as permanent, reusable curettes” whose blade “will become dull and must be sent out for resharpening,” and which require repeated cleaning and sterilization. Disposable curettes combine handle and blade as one assembly “intended to be disposed of entirely after a single use,” so sharpening, cleaning and sterilization costs “do not arise.” Device records carry this distinction as a single-use flag (see the table below).
Ring (Fox) and oval (Piffard) tips
Manufacturer records in the FDA’s Global Unique Device Identification Database (GUDID), available through openFDA, describe Fox dermal curettes as having a round ring tip and Piffard dermal curettes as having an oval tip, in numbered sizes such as size 0, 1 and 2.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply decisions
Regulatory placement
21 CFR 878.4800 defines a manual surgical instrument for general use as a nonpowered, hand-held or hand-manipulated device, and its identification text names “curette” among the instrument types. The regulation classifies these devices as Class I (general controls) and exempts them from premarket notification, subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 878.9. In the FDA classification database, general-use curettes appear under two product codes, both under 878.4800 and both Class 1: FZS (“Curette, Surgical, General Use”) and HTF (“Curette”).
Curettes built for other specialties are classified separately. The same openFDA database lists, for example, dental curettes under 21 CFR 872.4565, ear, nose and throat curettes under 874.4420, ophthalmic curettes under 886.4350, a uterine curette under 884.4530 (Class 1), and a suction endometrial curette under 884.1175 (Class 2). A listing that says only “curette” may therefore fall under a different regulation from a dermal curette, and the product code on the device record is the quickest way to tell.
How device records describe a dermal curette
The table lists how real GUDID records, checked through openFDA on 2026-10-30, describe five dermal curettes. It illustrates which fields exist on a record; it is not a ranking or a recommendation.
| Record (brand name, company) | Shape per record | Size per record | Single-use flag | Product code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Dermal Curette, Sontec Instruments | Round ring | 4 mm tip; 5.5 in length | No | HTF |
| Fox Dermal Curette, Sontec Instruments | Round ring | 5 mm ring diameter; 5.5 in length | No | HTF |
| Piffard Dermal Curette, Sontec Instruments | Oval tip, size 1 | 3 mm tip; 5.5 in length | No | HTF |
| Piffard Dermal Curette, Sontec Instruments | Oval tip, size 2 | 5 mm tip; 5.5 in length | No | HTF |
| Dermal Curette, Exel International | Not stated in the record | Stainless steel, 5.0 mm | Yes | FZS |
All five records carry a “not labeled as natural rubber latex” value. Because the fields differ by manufacturer (one lists “tip,” another “ring diameter,” another gives no length), compare the same field across listings, and read the shape, size unit and single-use flag from the record itself rather than from the product name.
Common misunderstandings
- “Curette” does not mean one device class. General-use curettes fall under 878.4800; specialty curettes fall under their own regulations and sometimes a higher class.
- A dermal curette is not a powered device. Both the regulation and the patent describe a manual, hand-held instrument.
- “Disposable” is a record field, not an assumption. The GUDID single-use flag differs between records, including among instruments with similar names.
- Class I does not mean unregulated. General controls still apply; the exemption is from premarket notification only, within the limits of 21 CFR 878.9.
FAQ
What is a dermal curette?
A hand-held surgical instrument with a loop-shaped blade, used for curettage of the skin. The term comes from the instrument’s use on skin, as described in US patent 6,001,113.
Is a dermal curette an FDA Class I device?
General-use surgical curettes are Class I under 21 CFR 878.4800 and exempt from premarket notification, with the limitations in 21 CFR 878.9. Checked on 2026-10-30.
What is the difference between a Fox and a Piffard curette?
In GUDID manufacturer records, Fox curettes are described as round ring tips and Piffard curettes as oval tips in numbered sizes.
Are dermal curettes reusable?
Both reusable and single-use versions exist. The single-use flag on the device record states which one a given product is.
Related reading: orthopedic surgical instruments and the bone file guide, which show how other manual instruments are classified.
Sources
- 21 CFR 878.4800, Manual surgical instrument for general use, Cornell Legal Information Institute, law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/878.4800, checked 2026-10-30.
- FDA device classification database via openFDA (product codes FZS and HTF and specialty curette codes), api.fda.gov/device/classification.json, checked 2026-10-30.
- FDA GUDID records via openFDA, api.fda.gov/device/udi.json, checked 2026-10-30.
- US patent 6,001,113, Disposable curette and method of manufacturing the same, patents.google.com/patent/US6001113, checked 2026-10-30.
