ESU Tester v1.0

In the developing world, engineers do not have adequate resources to
properly repair medical equipment. The development of a low cost
electrosurgery (ESU) tester would greatly enhance an engineers ability to
debug problems in current ESU machines. This project seeks to create a low
cost alternative to current ESU testers that, despite its low cost, is
compatible with the interface of different ESU machines.
Because of the poor economic situation and lack of medical resources in the
developing world, this device must cost less than $4 in quantities of 500,
achieve minimal maintenance and considerable longevity.
The device must be able to passively indicate when the cutting energy
reaches several different strengths ranging from 20 W to 100 W. It is ideal
if the device can distinguish between cut and coag, but this is not
required.

The Engineering World Health Organization's ESU Tester V1.0 is designed to test the power output of the Hard Cut (pure sinusoid) setting of an Electro Surgery Unit. It's 8 LEDs indicate different levels of power from 0 - 300W, each with an accuracy of approximately +/- 12W.

For more info on Engineering World Health, visit our website http://ewh.org/

Step 1 Safety

Safety
The most important safety factor surrounding the ESU Tester V1.0 has to do with the heating of the power resistor, which dissipates the ESU's energy in the form of heat. If the device is not given sufficient time to cool, the resistor can become extremely hot and cause burns / damage the device. Thus,

NEVER USE THE DEVICE FOR MORE THAN 5 SECONDS IN A 3 MINUTE PERIOD

(DOING SO CAN RESULT IN BURNS AND/OR DAMAGE TO THE TESTER)

In addition, good electrical safety practices should be observed:
- Never use the ESU Tester v1.0 around water or in a damp area
- Do not operate the ESU Tester v1.0 on a metal / conducting surface. Make sure that the device is sitting on an insulated surface when being used.
- Do not use the ESU Tester v1.0 for any other power measurement applications
- Do not touch any of the exposed circuitry of the ESU Tester v1.0 while power from the ESU is being applied to it.
- Do not modify the circuitry of the ESU Tester v1.0 in any way. If the device ceased to function correctly, dispose of it.
And of course, it should always be kept in mind that an ESU is a very dangerous instrument designed to cut through human tissue. Thus, the device should NEVER be used by anyone who is not qualified to operate an ESU.

Comments

[cactusmedical]

great idea but how do you measure RF leakage.

[Da_Fudge]

Nice!!! Ingenious idea!!! Also, do these ESU machines break a bit? Maybe you could shed a bit of light on ESU too? Thanks!

[whoops there it went]

I like it... its a great idea, looks like you met your constraints too