Product Manual

Monopolar
Valleylab FT10 Energy Platform User’s Guide 4-7
Return Electrodes – REM Contact Quality Monitoring System
Return Electrodes – REM Contact Quality
Monitoring System
Patient Return Electrode Considerations
During monopolar electrosurgery, a patient return electrode is always required to safely
recover the current that flows through the patient’s body and return it to the energy
platform. A reduction in surface area contact or poor conductivity between the patient
and the return electrode can cause the current to become concentrated, potentially
resulting in burns at the return-electrode site.
During a surgical procedure, the amount of current delivered in a given time determines
the amount of heating that occurs under the return electrode. REM Polyhesive patient
return electrodes are designed for use during conventional electrosurgical procedures and
duty cycles (on time compared to off time). Users should consult Chapter 10, Technical
Specifications for the recommended maximum duty cycle specifications.
How the REM System Works
The VLFT10GEN uses the REM contact-quality monitoring system to monitor the quality of
electrical contact between the patient return electrode and the patient. The REM system
is designed to reduce the risk of burns at the return electrode site. A non-REM return
electrode is not to be used with the VLFT10GEN.
The REM system continuously measures the resistance at the return electrode site and
compares it to a standard range of safe resistance (between 5 Ω and 135 Ω), thus
eliminating intermittent false alarms that could result from small changes in resistance.
The REM system also adapts to individual patients by measuring the initial contact
resistance between the patient and the patient return electrode and lowering the baseline
resistance if the contact resistance drops.
Notice
Only contact-quality-monitoring-system patient return electrodes can be used with the
VLFT10GEN.
Warning
It is not possible to foresee what combination of current and duty cycle may be safely used in every
situation—for example, when higher currents and/or longer duty cycles are used on procedures
such as tissue lesioning, tissue ablation, tissue vaporization; and procedures where conductive fluid
is introduced into the surgical site. Under these conditions a greater risk may exist that the heating
under a fully applied return electrode may be high enough to injure the patient.
When using a Covidien energy platform or a patient return electrode during these types of surgical
procedures, the user should seek written guidance in the form of detailed user instructions from
the manufacturer of the active accessory regarding the currents and duty cycles that can be
expected. In some instances, the application of additional patient return electrodes may help
mitigate the increased risk.