Acquisition of electrosurgical data using the IEEE-488

Electrosurgery uses high-frequency current (0.5-2.5 MHz) to create an electric arc that cuts and coagulates tissue. The arc's parameters are virtually unknown and it is possible that the electrosurgical arc is the source of a large number of hazards reported in the operating room. A study has been undertaken which examines the output voltage and current characteristics of the electrical arc. Using the Tektronix 7D20 programmable digitizer, one thousand twenty-four points are taken from each waveform and are downloaded into an IBM-PC-compatible (8086) using an IEEE-488 general purpose interface bus (GPIB) interface. The initiation of the electrosurgical arc is examined with emphasis on the software developed to execute the system.<
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