Acoustic black hole ultrasonic scalpel

Abstract

Ultrasonic scalpels (USs), as the preferred energy instruments, are facing a growing need to exhibit enhanced performance with the diversification of modern surgical challenges. Hence, we proposed an acoustic black hole ultrasonic scalpel (ABHUS) in longitudinal-bending coupled vibration for efficient surgical cutting. By incorporating an acoustic black hole profile, the local bending wave velocity is reduced and the amplitude is amplified cumulatively, thus creating a high-energy region near the blade tip to enhance the cutting performance of the ABHUS. The precise physical analysis model is established for systematic design of the ABHUS and quick estimation of its frequency characteristics. The vibration simulation and experiments demonstrate that compared with the conventional ultrasonic scalpel (CUS), the output amplitude of the ABHUS significantly increases, particularly a 425% increase in bending vibration displacement. The in-vitro cutting experiment confirms that ABHUS exhibits superior cutting performance. Our design presents vast possibilities and potential for the development of high-performance ultrasonic surgical instruments, serving as an innovative supplement with extraordinary significance for application of acoustic black holes.