Medtronic PEAK PlasmaBlade

DESCRIPTION

PEAK SURGERY SYSTEM
Based on innovative proprietary technology, the PEAKTM Surgery System is a new tissue dissection system that represents an important advance in radiofrequency (RF) surgical technologies. It consists of the PEAK PlasmaBladeTM soft tissue dissection devices and the AEX Generator. PEAK PlasmaBlade devices offer the precision of a scalpel and the bleeding control of traditional electrosurgery without the extensive collateral tissue damage.1-3,*The AEX Generator supplies pulsed plasma RF energy to the PEAK PlasmaBlade devices with an intuitive interface that is easy to use.

BENEFITS OF THE PEAK PLASMABLADE

• Compared to scalpel and traditional electrosurgery, demonstrated improved operating efficiency4,*
• Compared to scalpel, reduces blood loss during skin incision1,*
• Compared to traditional electrosurgery, reduced thermal injury depth2,*
• Maintains its cutting effectiveness and hemostatic ability even when submerged in liquefied tissue or blood1,*
• Operates at significantly lower temperatures than traditional electrosurgical technology (40 – 170°C vs. 200 – 350°C)5,**
• Simple set-up with plug-and-play functionality
• Numerous surgical applications

Evidence of the PEAK PlasmaBlade performance within its intended use has been reported in numerous clinical and pre-clinical evaluations. Based on these studies, Medtronic believes that the PEAK PlasmaBlade System may offer an effective alternative to the traditional scalpel or electrosurgical devices, potentially providing surgeons with better outcomes for their patients. Three separate, peer-reviewed, published studies have demonstrated equivalence in healed incision strength, inflammatory cell counts and healed scar width between scalpel and PEAK PlasmaBlade1-3,* PEAK PlasmaBlade incisions have also demonstrated significantly reduced thermal injury depth, inflammatory response and healed scar width, compared to traditional electrosurgery.2,*

PEAK PLASMABLADETM TECHNOLOGY
Electrosurgery was invented in the early 20th century and became one of the most used surgical tools after William Bovie introduced his radiofrequency (RF) generator in 1926. Today, modern electrosurgical cutting tools use continuous RF waveforms, which thermally vaporize soft tissue through Joule heating and an electrical arc. This results in cutting and coagulation that leaves a wide zone of collateral thermal tissue damage.
THE PEAK PLASMABLADE DIFFERENCE
With proprietary pulsed plasma technology, PEAK TM Surgery System is revolutionizing the way surgery is performed today. The PEAK PlasmaBlade is a unique soft tissue dissection instrument. Energy output from an electrosurgical generator, utilizing varying pulsed waveforms and duty cycles for both the cut and coagulation modes, induces electrical plasma along the cutting edges of a thin (nominally 12.5μm), 99.5% insulated electrode.
The PEAK PlasmaBlade uses less total energy and operates at significantly lower temperatures than traditional electrosurgical technology (40 – 170°C vs. 200 – 350°C).1,*
PEAK PlasmaBlade device cut vs. traditional electrosurgery cut2
CLINICAL BENEFITS OF PEAK PLASMABLADE
The postoperative benefits of low thermal technology are well known. Compared with traditional electrosurgery, the decreased thermal injury profile of the PEAK PlasmaBlade, as determined by the zone of thermal coagulation necrosis, suggests that the device may be used in closer proximity to adjacent structures with less risk of thermal injury.2,* PEAK PlasmaBlade incisions have demonstrated significantly reduced thermal injury depth, inflammatory response and healed scar width compared to traditional electrosurgery3,*and demonstrated equivalence in healed incision strength, inflammatory cell counts and healed scar width compared to scalpel.3,*
Medtronic believes that the PEAK PlasmaBlade System may offer an effective alternative to the traditional scalpel or electrosurgical devices, potentially providing surgeons with better outcomes for their patients. PEAK PlasmaBlade has been shown to dissect 24% (p=0.0002) more grams of tissue per minute than traditional electrosurgery, increasing surgical efficiency.4,* Compared to scalpel and traditional electrosurgery, PEAK PlasmaBlade patients reached 50% or normal diet by day 2 (median) vs. day 6.5 (median) for standard of care.5,*