Plasma Surgical Tools Reduce Tissue Damage
The use of plasma based treatment technology was recently introduced as an alternative to laser based skin treatments in cosmetic surgery facilities. Now, Peak Technologies, a Palo Alto base company, has introduced two plasma based surgical tools as a less intrusive alternative to the standard scalpel or to the electrosurgery devices. In both instances, ancillary damage to tissue and bleeding are reduced by the lower temperature at which plasma technology functions.
In the surgical field, standard scalpels have been used for precise cuts but provide no ability to control bleeding. Electrosurgical devices are used to more dense tissue such as muscle and fat. The technology cuts efficiently and helps to control bleeding by cauterizing while using intense heat to perform the incision. The temperature at which these units operate, however,can cause substantial damage to ancillary tissue - hence the post-op swelling and bruising that can take weeks to heal.
Plasma technology utilizes pulsed technology that is also based on radio frequency but is not a constant bombardment of energy. The result is a precise instrument that cuts at half the temperature of a standard electrosurgical instrument. The reduced temperature, in turn, tempers the occurrence of damage to surrounding tissues to approximately half that caused by electrosurgical tools, first developed over seventy five years ago.
Peak’s first plasma surgery product is the PlasmaBlade, a hand held tool supported by their PULSAR generator, which supplies pulsed (on-and-off) radiofrequency impulses that pass through highly insulated electrodes. The result is a tool which should be capable of cutting through both delicate tissues with precision and all other types of soft tissue as well, eliminating the need for the surgeon to switch from scalpel to electrosurgical device and back. The added benefit is reduced damage to adjacent tissues and thus, a substantial improvement in surgical options for plastic and cosmetic surgery.
Most recently, Peak introduced the PlasmaBlade Needle, a variation on the original PlasmaBlade that can be used when a needle-type tool is needed for precision, but that can also be used to make an incision. The PlasmaBlade Needle is still in pre-clinical trials, while the original PlasmaBlade has been approved by the FDA. Both tools are seen as an important addition to cosmetic surgery particularly in the field of facial procedures, where damage to delicate tissues surrounding the procedure is always a concern, as is post-operative bleeding.
The term ‘plasma’ refers to a fourth form of matter, separate from liquids, solids or gases. It is a collection of charged atomic particles that interact strongly with electromagnetic fields. In the new medical applications, plasma functions as a controlling agent for radiofrequency level energy, causing it to pulse rather than radiate in an uninterrupted flow. It can be used in precision instruments for surgery, and can control laser-frequency waves used in skin treatment to affect various levels of the epidermis based on various frequency settings.
