maxium® smart C Electrosurgery Unit with maxium® smart Beam
40
Revision 1
Never empty the cylinder completely!
At a residual pressure of 30 bar or less, the cylinder should be replaced. Pay attention to indicator on the
maxium® smart C screen!
If the system is not used for an extended period of time, close the valve on the pressure cylinder to avoid
argon loss from the system while it is not used.
Risk of injury by use of improper pressure reducer!
The function and safety of the maxium® smart Beam are guaranteed only when a MABS pressure reducer
by Gebrüder Martin is being used!
7.1.4
Argon
The chemical element argon (atomic number 18) is a noble gas which accounts for 0.93% of the
atmospheric air and is obtained from the latter by liquefaction. As a noble gas, argon will not participate in
chemical reactions (intrinsic chemical inertness). Therefore it is non-toxic, odorless, non-flammable, and
non-corrosive, and in the plasma of the argon beams no decomposition products of argon can be formed.
Its release into the ambient air, from which it has been obtained, causes no environmental problems.
Although in principle all noble gases are suitable for the operation of a beamer, the maxium® smart Beam is
designed to work with argon, since this gas is by far the cheapest and most easily available noble gas.
Gebrüder Martin recommends the use of argon of quality 4.8 with a purity of more than 99.998%. This
purity is per se not required for the process of the maxium® smart Beam. But only these high-purity gases
primarily intended for analytics are filled into pressure cylinders which do not run in the same circulation as
pressure cylinders for production and handicraft area, which may be very dirty. The use of a quality level
higher than 4.8 is possible, but will not present any advantages.
Because of its inertness, argon – unlike carbon dioxide which is also used in medical technology – does not
affect the gas exchange in the lungs, but it can displace the respiratory air if the concentration becomes
very high and thus lead to asphyxiation. In a normally ventilated room, under normal conditions of use of
the maxium® smart Beam no argon concentrations can form which entail danger of asphyxiation. Argon is a
possible hazard if it leaks in poorly ventilated locations or pits. Since argon is heavier than air, it can
accumulate on the ground if sufficient ventilation is not ensured.
7.1.5
Connection of beamer instruments
The electrode handles for argon-supported cutting and/or coagulation have separate connections for the
supply of HF current and gas. The HF connector with its flat-pin plug (US 3pin) is inserted into one of the
monopolar output ports M of the maxium® smart C. Activation is possible both via finger and foot switch. If
an argon-supported current has already been selected, e.g. in the context of a program start, and is
displayed on the screen, then the plug is to be inserted into the channel which the argon-supported current
belongs to.
