Dielectric Ultra-focused Oscillatory (DUO) Monopolar Blade for Minimizing Thermal Damage in Electrosurgical Applications

Abstract

With the widespread adoption of RF energy in electrosurgery, electrosurgery has become an essential element in most surgical procedures. In particular, monopolar electrodes, which are indispensable in most open surgeries, have been the subject of extensive studies focusing on electrode shape, material, coating, as well as RF generator control and temperature and/or impedance sensing. In electrosurgery, which delivers thermal energy to tissue for cutting and coagulation, heat represents both the most critical benefit and the greatest risk. The high operating temperatures of electrodes (exceeding 250°C), designed for efficiency as surgical tools, are known to cause excessive thermal damage to tissues and implanted devices. This paper proposes a novel blade-type monopolar electrode technology that employs highly focused dielectric heating as its energy transfer mechanism, in contrast to conventional monopolar electrode devices, which rely on ohmic loss and heat transfer at the contact surface between tissue and electrode. The proposed Dielectric Ultra-focused Oscillatory (DUO) blade is based on dielectric heating, enabling direct heating of tissue moisture without generating heat on the electrode itself. This approach inherently limits the temperature to 100°C due to the principles of water vaporization. This reduces thermal damage in tissue by more than 50% compared to conventional devices and offers the advantage of preventing physical damage to implanted devices within the patient's body, such as pacemakers, leads, and batteries. The advantages of the proposed DUO blade technology were validated through in-vivo and ex-vivo tests, demonstrating its superior performance compared to existing products. © 2025 IEEE.