CUSA
®
Clarity Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator System Operator’s Manual
2-5
CUSA Clarity System
The pump:
• Moves uid at 2 to 20 mL/min; default ow is 3 mL/min. Use the
adjustment slider (move the slider up/down on the Irrigation column on
the touch screen) to increase or decrease the irrigation ow in 1 mL/min
increments.
• Accelerates to a Fast Flush speed, pumping at 25 mL/min ± 0.5 mL/min.
The Fast Flush pedal on the system footswitch activates the Fast Flush
feature.
The pump pushes the uid through the manifold irrigation tubing to a ue,
a sleeve surrounding the vibrating tip. As the irrigation uid passes through
the ue, it cools the tip.
When the uid reaches the distal end of the tip, as much as 99% of it passes
through two pre-aspiration holes in the tip, preventing uid pooling in the
sterile eld and continually clearing the suction system. Fluid that does not
pass through the pre-aspiration holes irrigates the surgical site and suspends
fragmented tissue.
Aspiration (Suction)
Aspiration enables Constant Tissue Contact, the consistent, tangible contact
between tip and tissue which is essential in efcient tissue resection.
A vacuum pump in the console provides nominally 640 mmHg maximum
dead head vacuum at sea level. Use the adjustment buttons (move the slider
up/down on the Aspiration column on the touchscreen display) to increase
or decrease the suction from 10 to 100% in 5% increments; default is 60%.
The suction, which produces an air stream moving toward the vacuum pump,
pulls irrigation uid, fragmented tissue, and other materials through the distal
end of the surgical tip. From the tip, the aspirated materials pass through the
handpiece and manifold suction tubing into the suction canister. From the
suction canister, the air stream continues to ow through a contamination
guard that lters any remaining particulate matter or moisture, preventing
them from entering the vacuum pump.
The accuracy of the vacuum level in the aspiration tubing at the port of the
handpiece is ± 66 mmHg and never less than 30 mmHg.
A suction pinch valve on the front of the console opens when the system is
on, and closes to stop suction when:
• Priming the irrigation system
• Pressing the Fast Flush pedal
• Releasing the amplitude pedal in Run Status (in this case, the pinch valve
closes for approximately one second, then re-opens).
• Releasing the amplitude pedal in the on demand aspiration mode (this
suction stoppage prevents depletion of the pneumoperitoneum).
When the system is powered off, the suction pump remains off and the
suction pinch valve remains closed. Use the pinch value button on the front
of the suction pinch valve to open the valve manually.