Design of an Impedance-Controlled Hot Snare Polypectomy Device.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Devices
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Hot snare polypectomy is a common endoscopic procedure for removing polyps.
• Perforation is a serious complication that can occur during hot snare polypectomy.
• Current methods lack real-time feedback to prevent perforation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and test an impedance-controlled feedback system for hot snare polypectomy.
• To establish a reliable threshold for detecting impending tissue perforation.
• To develop an automated system to prevent perforation during the procedure.

Main Methods:

• Designed an impedance-controlled feedback system integrated with an Olympus PSD-30 electrosurgical unit.
• Tested the system ex vivo on porcine colon samples across various power settings (10 W-50 W).
• Determined the impedance increase threshold correlating with tissue perforation.

Main Results:

• A 25% increase in impedance from the initial measurement was identified as the perforation threshold.
• The developed system successfully and automatically interrupted current delivery at this threshold.
• The system demonstrated the ability to prevent tissue perforation in ex vivo tests.

Conclusions:

• The impedance-controlled feedback system effectively prevents perforation during hot snare polypectomy.
• This technology has the potential to significantly reduce serious complications associated with the procedure.
• Real-time impedance monitoring offers a promising safety enhancement for electrosurgical interventions.