Surgical aerosols in other words plumes are produced during thermal tissue destruction in medical operations. The cellular debris in the form of particulate matter may contain viruses and harmful chemical compounds which can lead to an infectious transmission in case of inhalation.
The goal of this study was to design and produce an experimental setup to simulate Plasmajet (PJ) and ERBE experiments with minimal airflow disturbances. Such setup can lead to defining the lowest aerosol production conditions, investigating the production-affecting factors, and evaluating tissue effects to promote a safer and healthier surgical environment for both healthcare workers and patients. A clear correlation between the aerosol production affecting factors and particle counts was established for particle sizes 0.3, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 µm.
The results of the experiments showed that among all experimental conditions, the PJ coagulation mode with fast operation yielded the lowest aerosol counts. In cutting mode, the lowest aerosol counts were also produced by PJ with fast operation speed. However, between speed and aerosol counts, no statistically significant correlation was found.
Upon analyzing the correlation between aerosol counts and tissue effects, it was determined that, for ERBE device, higher aerosol counts were associated with darker tissue effects. In the case of the PJ device, this relationship persisted in the cutting mode, whereas no connection between tissue effect and particle counts was observed in the coagulation mode.
Further investigation on the toxicity of the produced particulate matter and establishment of a clear minimal aerosol intake is recommended. Until then, preventive measures such as implementing local exhaust ventilation and using surgical N95 masks are strongly advised to minimize aerosol inhalation.