Martin maxium & maxium Beamer Operating Instructions
V 2.0
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10.9 Maintenance
Instructions
The maintenance instructions provided for the maxium electrosurgical unit shall analogously apply
to the maxium Beamer as well (see section 13, “Care of the Unit").
10.10 Technical Description
10.10.1 General
Information
The maxium Beamer is an accessory unit for generating a defined gas flow in the range of 0 to 12
l/min for use in high-frequency surgery. The gas flow is simultaneously activated with the HF cur-
rent, with separate gas flow rates available for cutting and coagulating. The argon gas and the HF
current eventually merge in the patient-side (distal) part of the applicator. To irrigate the applicator
with argon gas prior to connection (in order to remove the air still present in it), a special button is
available on the unit (the PURGE button/function). It allows the user to generate a pure gas flow
without HF current activation.
The coagulation process utilizes a special property of the inert or noble gas argon: its easy ioniza-
bility. By delivering the HF coagulation current to the tissue surface as part of (or “packed” in) a
directed, ionized gas beam (argon beam), better – i.e. more targeted and more uniform – surface
coagulation results can be achieved than in conventional spray coagulation.
The cutting process, in contrast, uses the argon gas as a protective gas flowing around the cutting
electrode. While the gas is neither actively involved in the current delivery nor in the cutting proc-
ess, it does counteract the generation of products of combustion. And in both applications, the gas
beam helps to clear the surgical field by blowing aside any liquids present on the surface.
Argon gas is usually supplied in pressurized cylinders having a filling pressure of 20 MPa
(200 bar). This high internal pressure is reduced to 250–450 kPa (2.5–4.5 bar) by a pressure re-
ducer mounted directly on the cylinder. At this reduced pressure, the gas is then delivered to the
maxium Beamer.
Note that only the pressure reducer specified in section 10.8, "Accessories
for Martin Argon Beamer Systems", may be connected to the maxium Beamer!
Alternatively,
the maxium Beamer can be connected to a central argon gas supply system (if available), provided
its operating pressure lies in the required range. For such connection, you need a special adapter
hose that is available on request (special Martin accessory).
A central gas supply system must incorporate additional protection against ex-
cessively high pressure. Such safeguard must ensure that the input pressure at
the maxium Beamer’s gas inlet will not exceed a value of 600 kPa (6 bar)!
Through its controller, the maxium Beamer automatically ensures that the actual gas flow available
at the distal (patient-side) end of the applicator matches the set rate. Different applicator flow resis-
tances are automatically taken into account and compensated – and therefore do not affect the gas
flow rate. This makes the maxium Beamer suitable also for endosurgical applications where appli-
cators incorporating very thin flexible tubes are used.
