BOWA ARC 400: Modes, Sealing and Typical OR Use

BOWA ARC 400 electrosurgical generator: key data

According to BOWA, the ARC 400 combines monopolar and bipolar cutting, coagulation and vessel sealing in one unit for general, visceral, gynaecological, urological and cardiac surgery. Maximum monopolar power is 400 W at 200 ohm and maximum bipolar power is 400 W at 75 ohm, at an output frequency of 350 kHz.

The housing measures 430 x 180 x 475 mm and the unit weighs 12.5 kg, so it fits standard equipment carts and pendant platforms. Up to five instruments can be connected at the same time, and each socket is mapped to its own quadrant on the display, which helps the circulating nurse see at a glance what is plugged in.

Ask your supplier for the connection diagram, the list of compatible cables and footswitches, and the electrical and ventilation requirements for the installation site. This information belongs to the unit's documentation and is needed for commissioning.

Touch control, COMFORT recognition and memory

The interactive touchpad can be configured to the team's workflow. With the COMFORT system the generator reads the RFID chip of compatible instruments, preselects the basic settings and counts remaining uses, which reduces manual set-up and the chance of a wrong preset.

The memory stores 300 favourite settings, and personal settings can be carried between units with the Dr. Dongle. For departments with several surgeons working on the same list, this makes it easier to keep consistent parameters without writing them on a whiteboard.

The practical benefit of automatic recognition depends on your instrument mix: COMFORT-compatible instruments plug in and work, while others are set manually. When comparing offers, ask for the list of such instruments.

Special modes: LIGATION, SimCOAG, GastroCut and MetraLOOP

LIGATION provides bipolar vessel sealing; with the ERGOseal instrument BOWA states sealing of vessels up to 7 mm, and the instrument is recognised automatically in ARCseal mode. SimCOAG allows two bipolar instruments to be activated simultaneously.

GastroCut supports endoscopic procedures in the gastrointestinal tract, and MetraLOOP is the dedicated mode for laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy with the MetraLOOP system. Bipolar resection for urology is available as an option. For basics on how cut and coag settings differ, see electrosurgical waveforms: cut, coag and blend.

Docking the ARC PLUS for argon-assisted surgery

The ARC 400 can be docked with ARC PLUS, which turns it into an argon workstation for argon plasma coagulation and argon-assisted electrosurgery. ARC PLUS offers a flow of 0.1 to 10 l/min, contact-free coagulation with an ignition distance above 10 mm, and modes for open, laparoscopic and flexible-probe work.

This matters for planning: if your endoscopy or surgery unit may need argon later, confirm the docking arrangement, gas supply and cylinder handling during specification rather than after delivery.

Manual, registration and what to ask a supplier

The instructions for use for the ARC 400 should be supplied with the unit and made available to users and biomedical engineers; ask the supplier for the current version and for training materials. Confirm the registration status of the model with the relevant UAE authority, since requirements change.

Questions worth asking: which instruments are COMFORT-compatible, how usage counters behave, what the service and spare-parts arrangement is, and what the offer includes for installation and training. Beckfinity is the UAE distributor of the BOWA range; request a quote or a demonstration to see the ARC 400 in your own theatre context.

Also ask how scheduled maintenance and output checks are handled, because this determines long-term stability; see electrosurgical unit maintenance.