Characterization of electrical discharges in saline

Summary form only given. Electrical discharges operating in electrolytes are commonly used in electrosurgery, and a key performance aspect of these systems is the temperature that the discharge induces in the vicinity of the surgical electrode tip. In this study we measured electrical properties and optical emissions from plasmas generated using 100 kHz, 50% duty cycle power from a commercial electrosurgical system (Arthocare Inc., model 2000). Our data indicate that arcs in these plasmas are the primary mechanism for energy transfer into the saline, with arc current peaks corresponding to Na* emission at 589 nm. We also present preliminary results from heat flux measurements that indicate the temperatures induced near the electrode easily exceed the denaturation temperature (ca. 60 C) but may be thermodynamically limited to the boiling temperature of saline (95-100 C)