THUNDERBEAT Technology

The benefit of bipolar devices is that they are very good at sealing blood vessels. Bipolar energy devices work by using the tip of the device to grasp the tissue to be cut and then a high frequency electrical current is run through the tissue. Heat is generated through the electrical resistance of the tissue, thus increasing the temperature of the tissue. As a result, the proteins in the tissue denature and the blood vessels are sealed.

However the maximum temperature reached with this device is only around 100℃, which is not enough to cut tissue. Once vessels have been sealed, an independent blade can be used to the cut the tissue without fear of bleeding. While this kind of device is capable of reliably sealing blood vessels, the procedure involves two steps: activating the current and cutting the tissue.

One of the major benefits of ultrasonic devices is that sealing and cutting are done in one step. The tissue is grasped between the “probe” and jaw and strong ultrasonic vibration is generated to produce frictional heat. As the proteins denature and the tissue temperature gradually reaches 200℃ the tissue is broken apart or transected. Although ultrasonic devices have sealing and cutting capabilities, they lack the same level of sealing ability as that of bipolar devices.

Olympus provides innovative energy solutions delivering surgical safety and instrument versatility for efficient and streamlined operations with optimal patient outcomes. This is why Olympus developed the unique hybrid technology THUNDERBEAT for open and laparoscopic surgery.

THUNDERBEAT is the world’s first and only advanced energy system that delivers two well-established forms of energy to a tissue simultaneously:

• Ultrasonic energy for superior dissection and fast tissue-cutting capability
• Advanced bipolar energy for fast and secure hemostasis for vessels up to and including 7 mm in diameter

This energy combination sets new standards in application of advanced energy in the operating room.