[Ex-vivo Comparative Study on the Morcellation Efficiency of Different Morcellators]

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Technology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Anatomical enucleation of the prostate (AEEP) is a key treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
• While laser enucleation has advanced, prostate tissue morcellation technology requires innovation.
• Limited advancements exist in morcellation devices used after AEEP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the morcellation efficiency of the Piranha and ActiveCut devices.
• To evaluate blade deterioration and performance consistency of both morcellators.
• To assess the potential of a new morcellation device in an ex-vivo model.

Main Methods:

• An ex-vivo model using bovine heart tissue was developed.
• Two morcellators, Piranha and ActiveCut, were tested with reusable blades.
• Each device underwent ten morcellation trials using 60g of tissue per trial.

Main Results:

• ActiveCut demonstrated significantly higher morcellation rates (12.43 g/min) compared to Piranha (7.09 g/min).
• ActiveCut showed a decline in efficiency over repeated trials and experienced two instances of manual tissue removal.
• Piranha morcellator maintained consistent performance without malfunctions throughout the trials.

Conclusions:

• The ActiveCut morcellator offers higher initial morcellation efficiency in an ex-vivo setting.
• Further clinical studies are essential to evaluate the safety and reliability of the ActiveCut device.
• The Piranha morcellator provided consistent performance, highlighting the need for improvements in the ActiveCut device before clinical use.