title: The role of thermal feedback in electrosurgical tissue heating.
abstract: Thermal dependence of tissue resistivity was incorporated into a compartmental tissue model that predicted the interaction between power delivery from electrosurgical units (ESUs) and tissue heating. Simulations showed that as tissue resistance declines with heating, a positive feedback loop from tissue to generator is created that can promote alternate site burning. This study describes how the thermal behaviour of tissue resistance influences the output of microprocessor-controlled thermal generators, especially when used in the monopolar mode.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Curcie
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Craelius
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004598:Electrosurgery / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D008838:Microcomputers; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted; D013814:Thermal Conductivity