title: Laminar and turbulent surgical plume characteristics generated from curved- and straight-blade laparoscopic ultrasonic dissectors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize laparoscopic ultrasonic dissector surgical plume emission (laminar or turbulent) and investigate plume settlement time between curved and straight blades.
  
  
  METHODS
  A straight and a curved blade laparoscopic ultrasonic dissector were activated on tissue and in a liquid environment to evaluate plume emission. Plume emission was characterized as either laminar or turbulent and the plume settlement times were compared. Devices were then placed in liquid to observed consistency in the fluid disruption.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two types of plume emission were identified generating different directions of plume: laminar flow causes minimal visual obstruction by directing the aerosol downwards, while turbulent flow directs plume erratically across the cavity. Laminar plume dissipates immediately while turbulent plume reaches a second maximum obstruction approximately 0.3 s after activation and clears after 2 s. Turbulent plume was observed with the straight blade in 10 % of activations, and from the curved blade in 47 % of activations. The straight blade emitted less obstructive plume.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Turbulent flow is disruptive to laparoscopic visibility with greater field obstruction and requires longer settling than laminar plume. Ultrasonic dissectors with straight blades have more consistent oscillations and generate more laminar flow compared with curved blades. Surgeons may avoid laparoscope smearing from maximum plume generation depending on blade geometry.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Denver Health Medical Center, University of Colorado Cancer Center Denver (UCCCD), 777 Bannock St, MC0206, Denver, CO, 80204, USA, fernando.kim@dhha.org.
authors.forename: Fernando J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sehrt
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pompeo
authors.forename: Wilson R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Molina
mesh_terms: D004210:Dissection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D020706:Laparoscopes; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D059708:Ultrasonic Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*