| Surgical Incision Device |
Attribute | Hemostatix Thermal Scalpel | Cold Scalpel | Monopolar Electrosurgery-Cut | Monopolar Electrosurgery-Coag | Ultrasonic Incision | Ferromagnetically Heated Loop | Pulsed Monopolar Electrosurgery |
| CUTTING EFFECTIVENESS | | | | | | | |
| Provides scalpel tactile feedback sufficient to distinguish tissue types | | | | | | | |
| Provides precise tissue incision equivalent to cold scalpel | | | | | | | |
| Incises with low-drag in all tissue types | | | | | | | |
| Reduces operating time to both cut and coagulate tissue | | | | | | | |
| Eliminates need to adjust tip-to-tissue air gap distance during incision | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| HEMOSTASIS EFFECTIVENESS | | | | | | | |
| Allows surgeon to set scalpel maximum temperature | | | | | | | |
| Minimizes collateral thermal damage to nearby vital structures | | | | | | | |
| Seals most blood vessels as they are incised providing dry field | | | | | | | |
| Enables application of tamponade to seal larger vessels prior to incision | | | | | | | |
| Minimizes depth of necrosis at surface of incision | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| SAFETY | | | | | | | |
| Eliminates possibility of electrical tissue stimulation | | | | | | | |
| Eliminates possibility of dispersing airborne, viable tumor cells and virions | | | | | | | |
| Avoids interference with Pacemakers, Implantable Defibrillators, Cochlear implants | | | | | | | |
| Eliminates need for smoke evacuation | | | | | | | |
| Eliminates grounding pad | | | | | | | |
| Avoids electrical current flow is tissue, unwanted collateral electrical tissue injury | | | | | | | |
| | | {see Notes 1, 2, 3 and 6} | {see Notes 1, 2, 3 and 6} | {see Notes 1, 2, 3 and 5} | | {see Notes 1, 2 and 3} |
| Note 1--Hashimoto, M., et.al., Viability of Airborne Tumor Cells during Excision by Ultrasonic Device. Hindawi Surgery Research and Practice 2017; 4907576:1-5 |
| Note 2--Barrett, W., et.al., Surgical Smoke--A Review of the Literature. Surgical Endoscopy 2003; 17: 979-987 |
| Note 3--Sawchuck, W., et.al., Infectious Papillomavirus in the Vapor of Warts Treated with Carbon Dioxide Laser or Electrocoagulation: Detection and Protection. Journal of American Academy of Dermatology 1989; 21:41-49 |
| Note 4--Baggish, M., et.al., Presence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus DNA in Laser Smoke. Lasers in Surgical Medicine 1991; 11: 197-203 |
| Note 5--Johnson, G. et.al., Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) in Vapors of Surgical Power Instruments. Journal of Medical Virology 1991; 33: 47-50 |
| Note 6--Fletcher, J., et.al., Dissemination of Melanoma Cells within Electrosurgery Plume. American Journal of Surgery 1999; 178: 57-59 |
