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Generation and Distribution of Surgical Smoke During High Frequency Electrocauterization

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New Results in Numerical and Experimental Fluid Mechanics XIV (STAB/DGLR Symposium 2022)

Part of the book series: Notes on Numerical Fluid Mechanics and Multidisciplinary Design ((NNFM,volume 154))

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Abstract

Surgical Smoke is generated during the cauterization of tissue with high-frequency (HF) devices and consists of 95% water vapor and 5% cellular debris. When the coagulation tweezers, which are supplied with HF voltage by the HF device, touch tissue, the electric circuit is closed, and smoke is generated by the heat. In-vivo investigations are performed during tracheotomies where surgical smoke is produced during coagulation of tissue. Furthermore, in-vitro parametric studies to investigate the particle number and size distribution and the spatial distribution of surgical smoke with laser light sheet technique are conducted. With higher power of the HF device, the particles generated are larger in size and the total number of particles generated is also higher. Adding artificial saliva to the tissue shows even higher particle counts. The study by laser light sheet also confirms this. The resulting characteristic size distribution, which may include viruses and bacterial components, confirms considering the risk arising from surgical smoke. Furthermore, the experiments will provide the database for further numerical investigations.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the RCHST and RCBE. Parts of this project were funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Art’s program to support Corona research projects. Special thanks also to Florian Erzinger for his support. Furthermore, special thanks to the clinical partners of the UKR for their cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg, Biofluid Mechanics, Galgenbergstraße 30, 93053, Regensburg, Germany

    Vera Stelzer, Sandra Melina Tauwald & Lars Krenkel

  2. Regensburg Center of Biomedical Engineering (RCBE), OTH and University of Regensburg, and Regensburg Center of Health Sciences and Technology (RCHST), Galgenbergstraße 30, 93053, Regensburg, Germany

    Vera Stelzer, Sandra Melina Tauwald & Lars Krenkel

  3. University Hospital Regensburg (UKR), Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany

    Veronika Vielsmeier, Fabian Cieplik, Arne Kandulski & Wulf Schneider-Brachert

  4. Institute of Mechanics, Chair of Fluid Mechanics, University of Kassel, Mönchebergstr. 7, 34125, Kassel, Germany

    Olaf Wünsch

  5. German Aerospace Center, Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology, Bunsenstr. 10, 37073, Göttingen, Germany

    Markus Rütten

Authors
  1. Vera Stelzer
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  2. Sandra Melina Tauwald
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vera Stelzer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Aerodynamik und Strömungstechnik, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V., Göttingen, Germany

    Andreas Dillmann

  2. Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Manching, Bayern, Germany

    Gerd Heller

  3. Institut für Aerodynamik und Gasdynamik, Universität Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    Ewald Krämer

  4. Institut für Aerodynamik und Strömungstechnik, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V., Göttingen, Niedersachsen, Germany

    Claus Wagner

  5. ILR - Aerodynamik, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Julien Weiss

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Stelzer, V. et al. (2024). Generation and Distribution of Surgical Smoke During High Frequency Electrocauterization. In: Dillmann, A., Heller, G., Krämer, E., Wagner, C., Weiss, J. (eds) New Results in Numerical and Experimental Fluid Mechanics XIV. STAB/DGLR Symposium 2022. Notes on Numerical Fluid Mechanics and Multidisciplinary Design, vol 154. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40482-5_53

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40482-5_53

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-40481-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-40482-5

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