LIFETIME TESTING OF SAPPHIRE AND SCULPTED SILICA FIBER SCALPELS

Background and Objective: Sapphire and sculpted silica fiber scalpels were evaluated for performance as they aged. Performance was determined by measuring their useful lifetime, forward transmission, incision depth, and the thermal coagulation thickness at the sides and bottom of the incision. Study Design/Materials, and Methods: Aging was performed with a chicken breast model. Performance measurements were made at periodic intervals. Sapphire scalpels were cooled with air or saline. Results: The air-cooled, frosted sapphire scalpels had the longest useful Lifetime, whereas the saline-cooled, frosted sapphire scalpels had the shortest. Aging deteriorated the forward transmission of the sculpted silica fiber scalpels the most. Little difference was found between the averages of all incision measurements. Two of the saline-cooled, frosted sapphire scalpels fractured during the aging process. Conclusion: Aging influences the scalpel lifetime, but there was no evidence that the aging process significantly affected the incision size. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.