Endoscopic techniques are revolutionizing many surgical procedures and further expansion is inevitable. The essence of minimally invasive surgery is to operate in a dry field, avoiding major hemorrhage, which can force conversion of the endoscopic approach to a laparotomy. Electrosurgical devices fulfill the need for tissue cutting with simultaneous vascular coagulation in a cost- effective manner. However, monopolar systems can conduct current along unwanted pathways through the patient and cause tissue damage. Safety concerns and intensified by the limited field of view. Recently, bipolar scissors have been developed, which address the safety concerns. But, the scissors are limited by incompatibility with many generators, mechanical complexity, slow or ineffective coagulation, relatively high cost to manufacture, and loss of feel for the surgeon who is accustomed to conventional """"""""metal to metal"""""""" cutting surfaces. To overcome these limitations, the PI has devised a new type of bipolar scissors, in which, each blade is a bipolar electrode. This design allows for multiple local current pathways, high current densities, and lower impedance. These scissors should work with most generators, have greater coagulation efficiency, and higher cutting speeds. In Phase I, the principal investigator proposes to fabricate, test, and compare the bipolar scissors with other monopolar and bipolar scissors in benchtop and in acute in vivo studies.
