Improvement of patient return electrodes in electrosurgery by experimental investigations and numerical field calculations.

Numerical field calculations and experimental investigations were performed to examine the heating of the surface of human skin during the application of a new electrode design for the patient return electrode. The new electrode is characterised by an equipotential ring around the central electrode pads. A multi-layer thigh model was used, to which the patient return electrode and the active electrode were connected.

Numerical field calculation of patient return electrodes in electrosurgery.

In order to examine the warming up characteristics during application of a new electrode design for a patient return electrode of an electrosurgical system numerical field calculations were performed in this study. A multi-layer thigh model was provided for this purpose, to which the patient return electrode and the active electrode were connected. The simulation geometry as well as the dielectric tissue parameters were set according to the current frequency.