Tissue-Selective Separation Mechanism of Multi-type Soft Tissues Under Waterjet Impact for Low-Trauma Cutting Surgery

Waterjet is increasingly used in medicine for cutting and ablation of soft tissues due to its non-thermal damage and tissue-selective separation. However, the tissue-selective separation mechanism for cutting target tissues while protecting blood vessels under waterjet impact remains little known. In this study, the mechanical properties, dynamic responses and tissue-selective separation mechanisms of four typical soft tissues including liver, muscle, and arterial-venous blood vessels under waterjet impact were investigated.

Uniaxial tensile testing and waterjet impact testing were conducted to measure the mechanical properties and cutting responses of liver, muscle, and arterial-venous blood vessels. Based on fracture mechanics, the critical separation pressure and impact depth for these soft tissues were determined and analyzed as key controlling parameters for tissue-selective separation.

The mechanical response showed that the Young's modulus and tensile strength of blood vessels were significantly higher than those of liver and muscle tissues due to their obvious differences in tissue composition and structure, which were necessary factors for achieving tissue-selective separation. The impact depths were negatively correlated with the mechanical properties of the tissues, while the critical separation pressures were positively correlated with their mechanical properties. A sliding effect of blood vessels embedded in soft tissues was found, where the vessels slid sideways and changed position to avoid damage while target soft tissues were completely cut under waterjet impact. This indicates that the vascular sliding effect controlled by waterjet processing parameters and tissue properties is an important determination for achieving tissue-selective separation during waterjet impact.

To achieve tissue-selective separation with low damage while ensuring high efficiency, reasonable waterjet impact pressures of 2.5-3.4 MPa for liver and 3.1-3.4 MPa for muscle with the transverse speeds of 12-15 mm/s are recommended for clinical surgery. This study provides practical insights into process control and tissue-selective protection in medical waterjet applications for low-trauma cutting surgery of soft tissues.