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The device is returned and an evaluation completed for the event.The user¿s complaint was confirmed.Device history record review indicates that the device was manufactured and tested in accordance with all applicable procedures and met all final product release criteria.Upon inspection, it was observed that the device probe is broken.The exact cause of the event cannot be exclusively identified.However based on the past investigation results, the probe broken possibly occurred due to contact with a surgical instrument or the non-insulated area of grasping section.The detailed mechanisms are shown below.During output in seal and cut mode, the probe came in contact with hard tissue, metal or a surgical instrument.Consequently, a scratch was made on the probe.The probe received an output load in seal and cut mode or received a load when grasping tissue.As a result, the probe cracked from the scratch.The probe broke with added load.Or, the distal end of the tissue pad was worn away because seal and cut output was activated while grasping nothing (including the case the user kept activating after cutting tissue).The tissue pad was worn away, causing the non-insulated of the grasping section to touch the probe.Seal and cut output was activated under this situation, then the scratches indicating that the probe and grasping section were in contact with each other were made.The probe received an output load in seal and cut mode or received a load when grasping tissue.As a result, the probe cracked from the scratch.The probe broke when added load.The instructions for use includes the following statements that warn against the issue: do not activate output in seal and cut mode while the grasping section is closed without contacting tissue or vessel, or ensuring that tissue is transected.Otherwise, a local increase of the temperature due to a friction between the probe tip and the grasping section may result in various forms of damage in the probe tip and/or the tissue pad, such as premature wear, breakage, deformation, and/or falling off inside the body cavity and/or partial separating.When cutting and vessel sealing is performed in seal and cut mode, apply light tension on the tissue so that users can confirm it is transected.Also, stop activation immediately after tissue is transected.Otherwise, the grasping section, the tissue pad, or the probe tip may break and fall off, and partial separating of the tissue pad may occur due to a local increase of temperature caused by the friction between tissue pad and the probe tip during activation.The thunderbeat instrument should be used for soft tissue.Do not activate output while grasping hard tissue such as bone or highly calcified tissue, or hard objects such as metal clips, stapler, or other instruments (e.G., uterine manipulator, forceps, and others).Otherwise, it may cause the probe tip to be scratched or come into direct contact with the metal area of the grasping section as the heat generated by the friction between the hard object and the probe tip could cause wear/deforming/splitting/protruding/partial separating of the tissue pad.In turn, the probe may break before displaying an error window or generating an alarm tone.During output, do not grasp or let the probe tip contact hard objects such as metal clips, stapler, or other instruments.Also, be careful to avoid contacting the probe tip with those accidentally.Particularly during activation, a scratch on the probe tip could occur due to ultrasonic vibration, which leads the probe tip to break and fall off into the body cavity.In addition, the high-frequency (rf bipolar) current flows through the metal and generates spark discharge, which may cause burns and decrease functionalities, which may lead to burns of the tissue by a high-frequency leak current output due to destruction of the insulation structure.Supplemental report(s) will be submitted when any relevant new information is available.
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