Functional Overview; Tissuefect Tissue Sensing Technology; Rem Contact Quality Monitoring System - Covidien ForceTriad Service Manual

Functional Overview

Functional Overview
The ForceTriad energy platform is a combination of a full-featured general-surgery
electrosurgical unit and a LigaSure vessel sealing system. The monopolar and bipolar
sections of the system are isolated electrosurgical outputs that provide the appropriate
power for cutting, desiccating, and fulgurating tissue during monopolar and bipolar
surgery. The LigaSure section of the system provides power for vessel sealing.
During monopolar electrosurgery, radio frequency (RF) current flows from the system to
an active electrode, which delivers the current to the patient. The resistance to the
current, provided by the patient's tissue and/or the air between the active electrode and
the tissue, produces the heat that is necessary for the surgical effect. The RF current flows
from the active electrode, through the patient's body tissue to the return electrode,
which recovers the current and returns it to the system.
The LigaSure vessel sealing system provides precise energy delivery and electrode pressure
to vessels for a controlled time period to achieve a complete and permanent fusion of the
vessel lumen.

TissueFect Tissue Sensing Technology

The system automatically senses resistance and adjusts the output voltage to maintain a
consistent tissue effect across different tissue impedance. This adjustment is based on the
selected mode, the power setting, and the level of tissue resistance.

REM Contact Quality Monitoring System

The system uses the REM Contact Quality Monitoring system to monitor the quality of
electrical contact between the patient return electrode and the patient. The REM system
is designed to minimize the risk of burns at the return electrode site during monopolar
electrosurgery.
When the user connects a REM Polyhesive patient return electrode to the patient return
electrode receptacle, they activate the REM system. When the user activates monopolar
output, the system connects the patient return electrode path. If the user activates
bipolar output while a return electrode is connected to the patient, the return electrode
circuit is deactivated automatically to eliminate the possibility of current dispersal.
The REM system continuously measures resistance at the return electrode site and
compares it to a standard range of safe resistance (between 5
minimizing intermittent false alarms that could result from small changes in resistance.
The REM system also adapts to individual patients by measuring the initial contact
resistance (baseline resistance) between the patient and the patient return electrode. If
the tissue impedance at the return electrode decreases during electrosurgery, the REM
system resets the baseline resistance.
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ForceTriad Energy Platform Service Manual