Fundamental studies on the electrical potential difference across blood vessel walls and applications of direct current coagulation.

In recent years, the improvement in surgical techniques have been greatly improved with the development of medical electronics. And yet, there remains many incidences in which the surgeon should use the classical techniques rather than the recently developed procedures. For example, when oozing or uncontrollable bleeding is encountered from injured organ in which ligation or suturing, application of pressure, or application of alternating electro-coagulation may be used, but no satisfactory result may be obtained with any of these m ethods. In this regard, the effect of the direct current on the living body has been studied by many investigators since the middle of the 18th century. Recently, the application of the direct current electro-coagulation has been applied clinically by some investigators. This electric hemostasis is merely a skillful application of the bio-electric phenomena to living body. In these e xperiments, the investigation was carried out on the bio-electric phenomena, especially on the potential difference of the blood vessel wall which previously had been studied in the various aspects by many investigators. However, different interfering factors obstruct the measuring of potential difference across the blood vessel wall under the normal condition. This paper describes the new apparatus for measuring of potential difference of the removed blood vessel wall using a special electrode whi:h is not affected by the phenomena of polarization. Intravascular thrombus formation due to direct current was observed by the microscope and microphotographs were taken. In animal experiments, stable injury on the organ (spleen), electro-coagulation was done under various ,conditions for oozing or uncontrollable bleeding and its effect on the injured portion was investigated. At the same time, blood pressure, platelets, and hematocrit (factors that are concerned in clotting mechanism) which is changed due to direct current, were measured, and t he results were discussed.