Conmed Electrosurgery - Design Optimization of a Single Heater Vessel Sealing Device
.ÌýIn this proposed project, the Altrus-II single heater vessel sealing device will be optimized based on our knowledge of applied pressure and intraluminal temperature requirements for effective tissue bonding. Our main goal is to minimize time and keep input energy within threshold to limit tissue damage around point of interest, while maximizing seal strength. This goal will be achieved through both numerical modeling and experimental validation. Initially, the Altrus-II geometry will be modeled in Comsol multiphysics engineering, design, and finite element analysis software. This model will be used to vary force, input energy and duration to achieve required intraluminal temperatures and pressures that maximize seal strength, while minimizing thermal spread and time. Using these parameters, a series of burst pressure measurements will be completed with porcine splenic arteries to verify modeling results. Coupled with burst pressure measurements will be histological study of the media involvement in the bond to reveal how components of the extracellular matrix (e.g., collagen, elastin, etc.) integrate to form a mechanically robust union.