Jealous much, cutters?

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Badur send me a link to a “plasma blade” cutting tool, what seems like a big improvement on various electrocautery-type cutting tools… Should be amazing for procedures like subincisions…

As you can tell from the screenshot, the video is a little gory (Caitlin says “ewww! what is it!!! is it a baked potato with corn in it!?!?”)*.

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(* Caitlin now says “why must you make fun of me?”)

178 thoughts on “Jealous much, cutters?”

  5. I have severe cluster-phobia…yes its real so I Couldn’t really watch the video but. I will say this.

    What your daughter said made me laugh out loud.

  6. I have severe cluster-phobia…yes its real so I Couldn’t really watch the video but. I will say this.

    What your daughter said made me laugh out loud.

  9. Ex vivo is the correct term, its latin not spanish

    interesting technology mind

  10. Ex vivo is the correct term, its latin not spanish

    interesting technology mind

  11. well maybe it cuts better, but it certainly smell way worse. hmmmmm fresh burning skin…

  12. well maybe it cuts better, but it certainly smell way worse. hmmmmm fresh burning skin…

  13. I don’t think I want to know who/what they’re cutting… I really really, hope it’s not a live animal although I doubt they’d be able to find too many human volunteers for that spot and the skin does look kind of piggy.

  14. I don’t think I want to know who/what they’re cutting… I really really, hope it’s not a live animal although I doubt they’d be able to find too many human volunteers for that spot and the skin does look kind of piggy.

  15. haha the little illustrated picture looks like an electric toothbrush.

  16. haha the little illustrated picture looks like an electric toothbrush.

  17. #7, Pretty sure its human flesh from a cadaver. This is how i would want my tongue split if my lady would let me.

  18. #7, Pretty sure its human flesh from a cadaver. This is how i would want my tongue split if my lady would let me.

  23. I couldn’t find the price ANYWHERE. Maybe it’s still in testing phases?

  24. I couldn’t find the price ANYWHERE. Maybe it’s still in testing phases?

  25. That looks like a smoking piece of kit.. I bet it ain’t within the price-range of the majority of sole mod-practitioners yet though.. Meh.

  26. That looks like a smoking piece of kit.. I bet it ain’t within the price-range of the majority of sole mod-practitioners yet though.. Meh.

  39. Ex vivo human skin means it’s from a cadaver, ie. a dead body of someone who decided to donate his/her body to science.

    In vivo porcine model means it’s on a live pig. Before anyone starts moaning and groaning about cruelty and vivisection, I’m 100% sure it’s under anesthesia. In the USA, any organization whether a university, government, or commercial operation that does experiments on vertebrates has an IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) which has to make sure that the researchers are taking care of animal welfare and minimizing pain. They would NOT let this be done on an awake pig.

  40. Ex vivo human skin means it’s from a cadaver, ie. a dead body of someone who decided to donate his/her body to science.

    In vivo porcine model means it’s on a live pig. Before anyone starts moaning and groaning about cruelty and vivisection, I’m 100% sure it’s under anesthesia. In the USA, any organization whether a university, government, or commercial operation that does experiments on vertebrates has an IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) which has to make sure that the researchers are taking care of animal welfare and minimizing pain. They would NOT let this be done on an awake pig.

  41. In case anyone’s wondering how I know this…it’s because I learned recently how complicated it is to write an animal use protocol that will make an IACUC happy. Not that I’m some kind of sadist who likes torturing animals either, but when you’re designing an experiment it’s easy to forget a lot of things and the purpose of the IACUC is to make sure scientists pull their socks up in terms of welfare.

  42. In case anyone’s wondering how I know this…it’s because I learned recently how complicated it is to write an animal use protocol that will make an IACUC happy. Not that I’m some kind of sadist who likes torturing animals either, but when you’re designing an experiment it’s easy to forget a lot of things and the purpose of the IACUC is to make sure scientists pull their socks up in terms of welfare.

  43. Wouldn’t “in vivo porcine” mean living pig tissue? I know the other is a cadaver…. but.

  44. Wouldn’t “in vivo porcine” mean living pig tissue? I know the other is a cadaver…. but.

  45. Neat…Looks like it could take some time to get used to the long cutting section, kinda like choking up on a baseball bat! I would assume its very expensive.

  46. Neat…Looks like it could take some time to get used to the long cutting section, kinda like choking up on a baseball bat! I would assume its very expensive.

  53. i am a surgical technologist, and the plasma blade works wonders. yet its not super popular yet. . .

  54. i am a surgical technologist, and the plasma blade works wonders. yet its not super popular yet. . .

  55. oh and that yummy fat. once on your gloves its sticky and oily and just down right annoying cause it like clings to you… icky and fascinating fun at the same time

  56. oh and that yummy fat. once on your gloves its sticky and oily and just down right annoying cause it like clings to you… icky and fascinating fun at the same time

  57. I sure hope #20 is right about the live pig stuff. Animal experimentations make me want to cry. Strangely enough, things done to people have no effect on me. Nice device.

  58. I sure hope #20 is right about the live pig stuff. Animal experimentations make me want to cry. Strangely enough, things done to people have no effect on me. Nice device.

  61. #3 I am so confused because i thought clusterphobia was the fear of clusters or crowds what does that have to do with watching a video about cutting some skin open? I’m not trying to be rude or anything but i’m just so confused by that response!!!

  62. #3 I am so confused because i thought clusterphobia was the fear of clusters or crowds what does that have to do with watching a video about cutting some skin open? I’m not trying to be rude or anything but i’m just so confused by that response!!!

  65. Wow. I just watched this earlier today on Boing Boing while bored at work. I was pretty much amazed at how much better it performed then other similar surgical instruments. This should be a great thing for the future of medicine.

    On the topic of fat; I had the privilege to take a field trip to Baldwin Wallace University when I was a senior in high school. Apparently they are one of the few undergrad programs in the nation that does human dissections. I was in awe of the amount of fat under the skin, of even a relatively slender person. It was never anything like I pictured it to be.

  66. Wow. I just watched this earlier today on Boing Boing while bored at work. I was pretty much amazed at how much better it performed then other similar surgical instruments. This should be a great thing for the future of medicine.

    On the topic of fat; I had the privilege to take a field trip to Baldwin Wallace University when I was a senior in high school. Apparently they are one of the few undergrad programs in the nation that does human dissections. I was in awe of the amount of fat under the skin, of even a relatively slender person. It was never anything like I pictured it to be.

  67. “reduced scarring.”

    erm.. isn’t it we do cutting for scar unless for Medical issue?
    anyway, awesome tool for cutting..

  68. “reduced scarring.”

    erm.. isn’t it we do cutting for scar unless for Medical issue?
    anyway, awesome tool for cutting..

  69. How do doctors stay sane watching these marketing videos? The soundtrack makes me want to kill. The device itself seems cool … but if I were a doctor, I’d be more impressed by like, Slayer or something. Cutting corpseflesh to a Metal score would definitely make me want to buy a plasma scalpel.

  70. How do doctors stay sane watching these marketing videos? The soundtrack makes me want to kill. The device itself seems cool … but if I were a doctor, I’d be more impressed by like, Slayer or something. Cutting corpseflesh to a Metal score would definitely make me want to buy a plasma scalpel.

  71. I’m guessing the reduced scarring could be helpful for things like subs and tongue splits, where the desired end result isn’t giant keloids.

  72. I’m guessing the reduced scarring could be helpful for things like subs and tongue splits, where the desired end result isn’t giant keloids.

  79. I would of rather that been a potato with corn and butter in it.

    However now I will not look at a baked potato the same…. Uck

  80. I would of rather that been a potato with corn and butter in it.

    However now I will not look at a baked potato the same…. Uck

  85. Goddamn, if I can’t have my tongue split with a laser, I’d like to have it done with one of these. Anybody 100% sure on what the legality of splits is these days in the United States of Anti-Surgical Mods?

  86. Goddamn, if I can’t have my tongue split with a laser, I’d like to have it done with one of these. Anybody 100% sure on what the legality of splits is these days in the United States of Anti-Surgical Mods?

  87. #34 kaesen – This is a video marketed to people in the medical field. They don’t want scarring. Shannon posted it because it’s interesting to people with our uses. Besides, it could be used for tongue splitting and stuff where you don’t want much scarring.

  88. #34 kaesen – This is a video marketed to people in the medical field. They don’t want scarring. Shannon posted it because it’s interesting to people with our uses. Besides, it could be used for tongue splitting and stuff where you don’t want much scarring.

  89. yuck, could not watch it. that was EXACTLY what my ex used to to to himself [ cut till that yellow stuff showed ] **shudder**

  90. yuck, could not watch it. that was EXACTLY what my ex used to to to himself [ cut till that yellow stuff showed ] **shudder**

  91. @ #5 yeah like i said, “ex-VIVO” to ME is spanglish. so, get your shit together.
    & i wasn’t being sarcastic when i said “How professional”

  92. @ #5 yeah like i said, “ex-VIVO” to ME is spanglish. so, get your shit together.
    & i wasn’t being sarcastic when i said “How professional”

  93. You still need a $20-50K electrosurgical generator to be able to use it effectivly without errors.

    Sounds very similair to the Force TriVerse pencil. Either way, you are still going to need a $20-50k electrosurgical generator to use it effectivly.

  94. You still need a $20-50K electrosurgical generator to be able to use it effectivly without errors.

    Sounds very similair to the Force TriVerse pencil. Either way, you are still going to need a $20-50k electrosurgical generator to use it effectivly.

  97. I want my tongue split even more now. The scalpel method makes me cringe, though not as much as the electro-cautery.

  98. I want my tongue split even more now. The scalpel method makes me cringe, though not as much as the electro-cautery.

  99. #43 Kelli – oops.. totally forgot about splitting. my mind was just focused on scarification. sorry. =P but still is good news for Medical field and the ad did spoil my lunch..

  100. #43 Kelli – oops.. totally forgot about splitting. my mind was just focused on scarification. sorry. =P but still is good news for Medical field and the ad did spoil my lunch..

  101. the headline on this is blatantly offensive. and i’m not normally one who gets up in arms about such things. self-injury’s not funny. it’s one thing to say “no, i’m not going to put cutter pics behind a link”–i’ve always thought that “triggering” was an overblown concept and that this wasn’t really your responsibility. that doesn’t make it ok to headline a completely unrelated topic with what is, in effect, a taunt to all those who find your treatment of self-injury on this blog to be insensitive at best and criminal at worst (and to be clear–I’m with the “insensitive” people). this is just childish.

  102. the headline on this is blatantly offensive. and i’m not normally one who gets up in arms about such things. self-injury’s not funny. it’s one thing to say “no, i’m not going to put cutter pics behind a link”–i’ve always thought that “triggering” was an overblown concept and that this wasn’t really your responsibility. that doesn’t make it ok to headline a completely unrelated topic with what is, in effect, a taunt to all those who find your treatment of self-injury on this blog to be insensitive at best and criminal at worst (and to be clear–I’m with the “insensitive” people). this is just childish.

  103. That “yellow stuff” or “corn” is fat, guys. Subcutaneous fat, meaning fat under the skin. That’s obvious.

  104. That “yellow stuff” or “corn” is fat, guys. Subcutaneous fat, meaning fat under the skin. That’s obvious.

  107. mmm.. tasty bait, AeChei?

    i’m kind of amazed it took 50 comments to get a bite; perhaps those who wish to continually complain about the content of someone else’s blog *they’re* choosing to read have finally done the logical thing and GTFO? bah, who am i kidding…

  108. mmm.. tasty bait, AeChei?

    i’m kind of amazed it took 50 comments to get a bite; perhaps those who wish to continually complain about the content of someone else’s blog *they’re* choosing to read have finally done the logical thing and GTFO? bah, who am i kidding…

  109. #53 – I assumed that the title referred to the “Jealous cutters” – The surgeons keeping this lovely technology for themselves (By keeping the price high) rather than sharing it with the mod community.

    And it looks like a brilliant bit of kit – Let’s hope that the price drops and we see it in use more often…

  110. #53 – I assumed that the title referred to the “Jealous cutters” – The surgeons keeping this lovely technology for themselves (By keeping the price high) rather than sharing it with the mod community.

    And it looks like a brilliant bit of kit – Let’s hope that the price drops and we see it in use more often…

  111. But… I’ve cut that deep before and pale pinkish stuff came out.. WHY WASN’T IT YELLOW???

  112. But… I’ve cut that deep before and pale pinkish stuff came out.. WHY WASN’T IT YELLOW???

  113. I can’t help but feels ‘cutters’ in this sense refers to people who are into scarification over self harm, so take your silly self righteousness and gtfo noob, ggthxnore.

  114. I can’t help but feels ‘cutters’ in this sense refers to people who are into scarification over self harm, so take your silly self righteousness and gtfo noob, ggthxnore.

  117. Nevermind Shannon…..one day you might not have to explain and justify every bleedin’ post

  118. Nevermind Shannon…..one day you might not have to explain and justify every bleedin’ post

  129. LOL to the spanglish comment.

    professionalism is a guise.
    and so is your judgment.

  130. LOL to the spanglish comment.

    professionalism is a guise.
    and so is your judgment.

  131. I’ve called and can’t get through, emailed and had no response. I think the poor buggers are being deluged! I want to know pricing, too.

  132. I’ve called and can’t get through, emailed and had no response. I think the poor buggers are being deluged! I want to know pricing, too.

  133. I showed my mom this (shes a surgeon) and she said it was pretty cool the only concern she would have is more scarring because she says sometimes when the cut is too neat it scars more.

  134. I showed my mom this (shes a surgeon) and she said it was pretty cool the only concern she would have is more scarring because she says sometimes when the cut is too neat it scars more.

  135. i found that strangely fascinating. i guess i’ve become a little desensitized… *laughs* though i have to admit, the “coldness” of watching a medical infomercial is, i find, more disturbing than looking at the “guess what” pictures that Shannon posts.

    i can only imagine the results that the mod community’s more skilled practitioners could turn out if they had access to tools like this.

  136. i found that strangely fascinating. i guess i’ve become a little desensitized… *laughs* though i have to admit, the “coldness” of watching a medical infomercial is, i find, more disturbing than looking at the “guess what” pictures that Shannon posts.

    i can only imagine the results that the mod community’s more skilled practitioners could turn out if they had access to tools like this.

  137. Wow… now that’s a pretty sweet tool. I’d prefer a much more compact version, personally, and I’ll have to check and see if it’s adjustable enough to be used for mild cautery without literally cutting through tissue like butter. Specifically I’m wondering about useability for impants and such.

  138. Wow… now that’s a pretty sweet tool. I’d prefer a much more compact version, personally, and I’ll have to check and see if it’s adjustable enough to be used for mild cautery without literally cutting through tissue like butter. Specifically I’m wondering about useability for impants and such.

  139. Bleh. Not even available in the US yet. Probably won’t be commercially avaialble for the better part of a year.

  140. Bleh. Not even available in the US yet. Probably won’t be commercially avaialble for the better part of a year.

  145. absolutely amazing.

    now i want my tongue split even more!!
    but i doubt they would be using these in the mod community for a while.

  146. absolutely amazing.

    now i want my tongue split even more!!
    but i doubt they would be using these in the mod community for a while.

  147. Wow. That is one neat tool. I would like to try that instead of electrocautery branding, to see if the scar would spread less, possibly allowing for more detailed work. Hmmm…

  148. Wow. That is one neat tool. I would like to try that instead of electrocautery branding, to see if the scar would spread less, possibly allowing for more detailed work. Hmmm…

  149. # 67, that sounds about right and that’s why I thought “Sweet, highly detailed scar pieces!”. From what I’ve studied in forensics, clean cuts don’t have any ragged pieces that can fit themselves together and start healing that way. I think (honestly I don’t know) that if there are no loose ends the body just has to fill the entire cut in with scar tissue. That would be so freaking awesome. I never thought I’d have the balls for scarification but if someone tests this and it works, I’d be first in line.

  150. # 67, that sounds about right and that’s why I thought “Sweet, highly detailed scar pieces!”. From what I’ve studied in forensics, clean cuts don’t have any ragged pieces that can fit themselves together and start healing that way. I think (honestly I don’t know) that if there are no loose ends the body just has to fill the entire cut in with scar tissue. That would be so freaking awesome. I never thought I’d have the balls for scarification but if someone tests this and it works, I’d be first in line.

  151. AeChei, he might not mean self-injurers; hemight be referring to underground surgical practicioners.besides, even if he did mean those who SI then it’d be kinda silly because many of the self-injurers i know could careless about depth, and more about relief of emotional stress, which can hoestly come in the form of anything from cat-scratches to the chopping off of limbs. the only i’ve ever known depth to come up is in comparison to other people.

    i always wondered does splitting your tongure hurt worse than biting your tongue…ok now i’m just rambling.

  152. AeChei, he might not mean self-injurers; hemight be referring to underground surgical practicioners.besides, even if he did mean those who SI then it’d be kinda silly because many of the self-injurers i know could careless about depth, and more about relief of emotional stress, which can hoestly come in the form of anything from cat-scratches to the chopping off of limbs. the only i’ve ever known depth to come up is in comparison to other people.

    i always wondered does splitting your tongure hurt worse than biting your tongue…ok now i’m just rambling.

  155. Looks like it may be a pipe dream for most artists for now. Got this email back:

    Andy,

    Yes, our products are on the order of a physician only.

    Best,

    Andre

  156. Looks like it may be a pipe dream for most artists for now. Got this email back:

    Andy,

    Yes, our products are on the order of a physician only.

    Best,

    Andre

  157. So…uh, when are they coming out with the plasma sword? I know there are still some Star Wars fans out there in the body mod community that have to be thinking what I’m thinking…mwahahaha

  158. So…uh, when are they coming out with the plasma sword? I know there are still some Star Wars fans out there in the body mod community that have to be thinking what I’m thinking…mwahahaha

  163. #29 – #20 is absolutely correct. i used to work in an animal research lab and reviewed dozens of IACUC protocols, plus we had regular IACUC inspections to ensure that they were being followed. just because there is research being performed on animals doesn’t mean they have to suffer. they are sedated for procedures and everything possible is done to minimize pain. if a lab is found to be in violation of protocol, then it will suffer serious consequences.

  164. #29 – #20 is absolutely correct. i used to work in an animal research lab and reviewed dozens of IACUC protocols, plus we had regular IACUC inspections to ensure that they were being followed. just because there is research being performed on animals doesn’t mean they have to suffer. they are sedated for procedures and everything possible is done to minimize pain. if a lab is found to be in violation of protocol, then it will suffer serious consequences.

  169. Watching that was neat, I’ve seen surgeries in person and that is definitely a neat tool, but the whole background music and calm tone of the presenter was disturbing.
    Not cool with the live pig either. Anesthetic or not, i’m 100% against the use of animals for research. A human life shouldn’t be any more important than an animal’s… but, that’s another topic altogether! Moving on…

    So, I hear a lot of people saying they want to have this used for tongue splits and everything. I can see that, but my first thought was.. what does it feel like? Yeah, some people will use anesthetic, but obviously a lot WON’T too… so scalpels feel.. sharp, electrocautery is basically burns.. what does this device feel like to a live, awake and non-anesthetized person?

    Cool concept, in general.

  170. Watching that was neat, I’ve seen surgeries in person and that is definitely a neat tool, but the whole background music and calm tone of the presenter was disturbing.
    Not cool with the live pig either. Anesthetic or not, i’m 100% against the use of animals for research. A human life shouldn’t be any more important than an animal’s… but, that’s another topic altogether! Moving on…

    So, I hear a lot of people saying they want to have this used for tongue splits and everything. I can see that, but my first thought was.. what does it feel like? Yeah, some people will use anesthetic, but obviously a lot WON’T too… so scalpels feel.. sharp, electrocautery is basically burns.. what does this device feel like to a live, awake and non-anesthetized person?

    Cool concept, in general.

  171. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!! i used one of them on a cadaver at uni last week! theyr so much fun! was tempted to do a little slice on ma arm, just to see the amount of pain how it healed.

  172. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!! i used one of them on a cadaver at uni last week! theyr so much fun! was tempted to do a little slice on ma arm, just to see the amount of pain how it healed.

  175. Its human tissue,
    Ex vivo (Latin: out of the living) means that which takes place outside an organism. In science, ex vivo refers to experimentation done in or on living tissue in an artificial environment outside the organism. The most common “ex vivo” procedures involve living cells or tissues taken from an organism and cultured in a laboratory apparatus, usually under sterile conditions for a few days or weeks. This allows experimentation under highly controlled conditions impossible in the intact organism, albeit at the expense of looking at the tissue in its “natural” environment. One widely performed ex vivo study is the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. In this assay, angiogenesis is promoted on the CAM membrane of a chick embryo outside the organism (chicken). Ex vivo studies are usually performed in vitro, although the use of these two terms is not synonymous.

    n vivo (Latin: within the living) means that which takes place inside an organism. In science, in vivo refers to experimentation done in or on the living tissue of a whole, living organism as opposed to a partial or dead one or a controlled environment. Animal testing and clinical trials are forms of in vivo research.

  176. Its human tissue,
    Ex vivo (Latin: out of the living) means that which takes place outside an organism. In science, ex vivo refers to experimentation done in or on living tissue in an artificial environment outside the organism. The most common “ex vivo” procedures involve living cells or tissues taken from an organism and cultured in a laboratory apparatus, usually under sterile conditions for a few days or weeks. This allows experimentation under highly controlled conditions impossible in the intact organism, albeit at the expense of looking at the tissue in its “natural” environment. One widely performed ex vivo study is the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. In this assay, angiogenesis is promoted on the CAM membrane of a chick embryo outside the organism (chicken). Ex vivo studies are usually performed in vitro, although the use of these two terms is not synonymous.

    n vivo (Latin: within the living) means that which takes place inside an organism. In science, in vivo refers to experimentation done in or on the living tissue of a whole, living organism as opposed to a partial or dead one or a controlled environment. Animal testing and clinical trials are forms of in vivo research.

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