Department of Welding and Related Technologies in Medicine and Ecology

RF generators for welding of live tissues

Over 30 years, PWI specialists have created several generations of equipment and tools for welding of living tissues in medicine and veterinary medicine.

The use of developed technologies and equipment in practical surgery ensures: bloodless, fast, low-traumatic for the patient surgical interventions, reliable hemostasis without the use of suture materials; reduction of blood loss by more than 50%; reducing the duration of operations by 20…50%; rapid rehabilitation of patients after surgery.

In the presence of developed reliable equipment and tools, it is especially important to create effective welding algorithms that allow obtaining a strong connection without tissue necrosis. The algorithms are based on the feedback got by measuring the electric parameters of tissue. It is a serious scientific research and even a kind of art to combine all the parameters – power, frequency, PWM duty cycle, and longitude for each stage of the process to receive the high-strength weld connection of live tissues.

We present some results of experiments on welding of live biological tissues of various types.

• Welding of an artery with a bipolar clamp -the average strength of the connection of arteries with a diameter of 2-8 mm was seven times greater than the normal systolic pressure (940 ± 84 mm Hg).
• The PWI has developed a prototype tools for end-to-end welding of the intestines by open and laparoscopic methods. Unlike traditional staplers, no metal staples are left in the body. The high quality of the connection is confirmed by histological studies. The latest results are – the hydraulic strength of welded anastomosis was equal to 163-207 mm Hg, which was 6 – 8 more than the strength of the anastomosis obtained using a stapler.
• A vivid example of the advantages of welding in comparison with laser coagulation is the welding of the retina of the eye to its choroid. This method is less traumatic, quick and allows to reduce postoperative complications. To achieve the positive results, the hardware was changed and the special software algorithms were developed.
• In 2023-2024, research was carried out on the welding of tendons removed from a pig. PWI scientists obtained high strength results of the welded joint of tendons (thickness 2.5 mm, width 3.5 mm) – in the range from 1.5 to 2.1 kg. Further research and reliable results in this direction can provide a revolutionary technique for surgeons!

Among other interesting studies performed at the PWI – lung resection; connection of the epineurium of the segments of the severed sciatic nerve by the method of multi-point electric welding; high-frequency bipolar electric welding for injuries of the dura mater.

Further researches of technologies and equipment for high-frequency welding relate to the development of hybrid welding technologies using high-frequency electromagnetic, ultrasonic, and thermal energies and the development of specialized equipment and tools for performing surgical interventions. We are also developing the portable equipment, electrosurgical technologies for welding living tissues in military field conditions, which will significantly reduce the time of operations, reduce blood loss, and reduce the inflammation and complications.

 

a                                                                            b                                                             c

RF generators EKVZ-300 “PATONMED” (a), EKVZ-300-2 (b) and new portable generator (c).

 

http://patonmed.com.ua/uk/aparati

1. Lebedev, A.V., Dubko, A.G. Use of Electric Welding of Living Tissues in Surgery (review). Biomed Eng 54, 73–78 (2020).
Scopus https://doi.org/10.1007/s10527-020-09977-3

2.V. Yu. Molotkovets,  V. V. Medvediev, A. V. Korsak, Yu. B. Chaikovsky, G. S. Marynsky, V. I. Tsymbaliuk. Restoration of the Integrity of a Transected Peripheral Nerve with the Use of an Electric Welding Technology // Neurophysiology, Vol. 52, No. 1, January, 2020 P.31-42. Scopus

3. А.Г. Дубко, Н.А. Чвертко, О.В. Лебедєв, ЕЛЕКТРОХІРУРГІЧНИЙ ІНСТРУМЕНТ ДЛЯ МАЛОІНВАЗИВНИХ ВТРУЧАНЬ В АБДОМІНАЛЬНІЙ ХІРУРГІЇ// Біомедична інженерія і технологія.  2021 № 6. С.11-18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20535/2617-8974.2021.6.244548

4. Г.С. Маринський, В.А. Ткаченко, Н.А. Чвертко, С.В. Ткаченко, С.Д. Грабовський. Високочастотні генератори коротких потужних імпульсів серії АВІ-3500//«Автоматичне зварювання» №8. 2022, С.42-47.

5. Маринський Г.С., Ткаченко В.А., Бисько В.О., Подпрятов С.Є., Подпрятов С.С., Грабовський С.Д., Ткаченко С.В. Високочастотне обладнання для зварювання живих тканин (Огляд)// Автоматичне зварювання № 1, 2023, С. 29-37. https://doi.org/10.37434/as2023.01.05

6. Andrii Dubko, Iuliia Yamnenko, Serhii Stepenko, Oleksandr Bondarenko. Bioimpedance Analysis of Biological Tissues for Their Welding// 2023 IEEE 4th KhPI Week on  Advanced Technology  (KhPIWeek). SECTION 4. ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY, P.1-7. DOI: 10.1109/KhPIWeek61412.2023.10312990

7. Маринський Г.С., Ткаченко В.А., Бисько В.О., Подпрятов С.Є., Подпрятов С.С., Грабовський С.Д., Ткаченко С.В. Високочастотне обладнання для зварювання живих тканин (Огляд)// Автоматичне зварювання № 1, 2023, С. 29-37. https://doi.org/10.37434/as2023.01.05

8. Лебедєв О.В., Дубко А.Г., Чвертко Н.А. Основи комп’ютерного мультифізичного моделювання контактного зварювання живих тканин// Автоматичне зварювання №5 2023. С 44-47. https://doi.org/10.37434/as2023.05.05

9. Житковський Андрій, Дубко Андрій. СПОСОБИ ВИМІРЮВАННЯ ТЕМПЕРАТУРИ БІОЛОГІЧНОЇ ТКАНИНИ ПІД ЧАС ЕЛЕКТРОХІРУРГІЧНИХ ОПЕРАЦІЙ (ОГЛЯД)// Biomedical Engineering and Technology. Issue 10(2), 2023. 10-22.
https://doi.org/10.20535/2617-8974.2023.10.275704

10. Болгов М.Ю. Атлас безлігатурних операцій на щитоподобній залозі/ М.Ю. Болгов, О.В. Омельчук, І.Р. Янчій, П.П. Зінич, І.І. Комісаренко, В.А. Ткаченко, М.Д. Тронько. – К.: КІМ, 2024. – 168с. ISBN 978-617-628-084-2.

11. Current state and prospects for development in welding of biological tissues. Tkachenko, S.V., Romanenko, O.V., Chvertko, N.A., Dubko, A.G. Welding and Related Technologies – Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Welding and Related Technologies, WRT 2024, 2025, P. 143–146.  DOI: 10.1201/9781003518518-29