It is widely used in various surgical procedures such as adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy in ENT, disc ablation in orthopaedics and partial tumour resection in neurosurgery. Low-temperature surgery reduces thermal damage to surrounding tissue. It has the advantages of less trauma, less bleeding and faster recovery, giving patients a better treatment experience and post-operative effect.

Structure Material

Low temperature plasma cutting heads are usually composed of electrodes, insulating layers and cutting rods, and the materials used for each part are different. The common material for the electrode is platinum-iridium alloy, such as platinum-iridium alloy with 10% iridium (PtIr10). The common material for the insulating layer is polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and the cutting bar is usually made of stainless steel, 304 stainless steel or 316L stainless steel. 304L has a low carbon content and has good corrosion resistance and machining performance; 316L has better pitting and corrosion resistance due to the addition of molybdenum and is suitable for complex physiological environments. In addition, ceramic materials such as zirconia have high hardness, good biocompatibility and chemical stability and are often used as insulating component materials. The electrode part can be made of platinum-iridium alloy, which has a high melting point, good conductivity and corrosion resistance, and can withstand the high temperature and chemical action generated by the plasma.

Structural Material Properties

Mechanical properties: Medical stainless steel has good strength and toughness, can withstand external forces during surgical operations, and is not easily deformed or broken. For example, the yield strength of 316L stainless steel is about 205MPa, and the tensile strength is ≥515MPa, which can meet the mechanical requirements of the blade during tissue cutting and coagulation. Ceramic materials have high hardness, which can ensure the sharpness and wear resistance of the blade edge. Zirconia hardness can reach 1200-1500HV, but its brittleness is relatively high, and it is necessary to consider improving the toughness during design.

Chemical properties: The material must have excellent chemical resistance. The passivation film of stainless steel can resist corrosion from body fluids, and 316L can also maintain good corrosion resistance in a chlorine-containing environment. Ceramic materials have high chemical stability and do not chemically react with physiological tissues, ensuring surgical safety. Platinum-iridium alloy electrodes have high chemical stability and are not easily corroded in the strong electric field and chemical reaction environment generated by plasma.

Biocompatibility: Direct contact with human tissue requires biocompatibility of the blade material. Medical stainless steel has been widely used and has proven its good biocompatibility, but there is still a risk of a small amount of metal ion release. Ceramic materials have excellent biocompatibility and almost no tissue rejection. Platinum-iridium alloy has high biocompatibility and low irritation to human tissue.

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