New RF Generator Increases Ablation Efficiency

An innovative radio frequency (RF) generator with double the industry standard for power achieves target temperature faster and with fewer errors.

The Stryker Corporation (Kalamazoo, MI, USA) MultiGen 2 RF Generator is a bipolar and monopolar, high frequency electrosurgical system designed to deliver 100 watts of temperature-controlled RF energy, allowing users to ramp up to temperature faster. The system is intended for RF coagulation, selective denervation, and soft tissue destruction in orthopedic, spinal, and neurosurgical applications of the lumbar, thoracic, and cervical regions, including treatment of facet denervation, trigeminus neuralgia, peripheral neuralgias, and rhizotomy.

RF procedures can be started with a single touch of a button, creating a strip lesion without removing electrodes, and resolve ablation errors without stopping the procedure. Flexible stimulation controls allow surgeons to choose the order of lesions with independently run channels. Additional features include an ultra-responsive touch screen, a USB port for saving and transferring presets, and a lifecycle tracker for electrode use. The MultiGen 2 RF Generator is used together with the MultiGen 2 Splitter Cable and the Venom cannula and electrode system, all part of the Stryker Performance Platform.

“The next generation of radiofrequency ablation has arrived,” said Brad Wallace, brand manager for Stryker. “The MultiGen 2 RF Generator provides physicians with control and confidence, making radiofrequency ablation more efficient and reliable than ever before.”

RF ablation is sometimes used to treat severe chronic pain in the lumbar region, on specifically identified nerves surrounding the facet joints on either side of the spine. By generating heat around the nerve, the nerve is ablated, destroying its ability to transmit signals to the brain. The minimally invasive procedure, also known as rhizotomy, can usually be done in day-surgery clinics. A drawback of the procedure is that the nerves recover function over time, so the pain relief achieved lasts for only a short duration (3-15 months) in most patients.

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