Dermatologists and plastic surgeons need to produce well-controlled, bloodless incisions. While the common, cold-steel scalpel provides surgeons with control over length and depth of cut (dependent on individual skills), the surgical field is not bloodless. For many applications, a selfcauterizing blade would be clearly advantageous. Surgical devices such as lasers, electrochemical cauteries, heated scalpels, and ultrasonic probes are currently in use. Disadvantages associated with the use of these devices include tissue damage, scarring, and increased risk of infection. Recently, an ultrasonic aspirator has been introduced. While this aspirator is effective for certain liver resection procedures, it is not effective in cutting through pliable tissue such as stomach walls.Energy & Minerals Research Company has introduced an ultrasonically activated knife for industrial use called the ULTRAKNIFE(. This tool cuts a wide variety of materials using markedly lower force. Other ultrasonically activated surgical devices induce mild hemostasis with little damage to surrounding tissues. A modified version of the ULTRAKNIFE( will be a superior scalpel that will also induce hemostasis during surgery. A research prototype, ultrasonically activated scalpel will be assembled based on the findings of the research program and evaluated by the Dermatology Group of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. If the evaluation is positive, a Phase II program to develop an ultrasonic scalpel will be proposed.National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
