Electrosurgical plasmas

Electrosurgical medical devices based on repetitively pulsed nonequilibrium micron-scale to millimetre-scale plasma discharges in saline solutions are described. The formation of vapour layers (bubbles) around active electrodes appears to be a common feature at moderate ( < 300 V rms) voltages, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of physics. D, Applied physics Applied physics, 2005-06, Vol.38 (11), p.1728-1738
Main Authors: Stalder, Kenneth R, McMillen, Donald F, Woloszko, Jean
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Exact sciences and technology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects, investigation technics, apparatus
Other topics in biological and medical physics
Physics
Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges
Physics of plasmas and electric discharges
Plasma applications
Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics
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Summary:Electrosurgical medical devices based on repetitively pulsed nonequilibrium micron-scale to millimetre-scale plasma discharges in saline solutions are described. The formation of vapour layers (bubbles) around active electrodes appears to be a common feature at moderate ( < 300 V rms) voltages, and dissociation, excitation and ionization of the vapour in these bubbles produces chemical conditions that are thought to be the source of beneficial tissue removal and treatment. Experimental data are discussed, as are the results of modelling efforts of the plasma chemistry. Hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen atoms and other species are observed spectroscopically and their interactions with collagen, a common component of tissue encountered in surgical situations, are considered. Several pathways by which hydroxyl radicals interacting with collagen can lead to tissue removal are discussed.
ISSN:0022-3727
1361-6463
DOI:10.1088/0022-3727/38/11/014