Endoscope reprocessing
Innovating reprocessing for a more sustainable future
Experts at the PENTAX Medical Hygiene Event recently shared their insights into how advances in endoscope reprocessing could improve patient safety and ensure a more sustainable future.
Over recent years, and even decades, the endoscopic field has been marked by considerable changes. Endoscopes are becoming increasingly advanced, and their clinical use case has expanded across many therapeutic areas. Consider, for example, the wide range of reusable, semi-disposable and single-use endoscopes that are now available. The reprocessing and storage cycle has moved along a similar trajectory. From basic brushes and household soaps, reprocessing rooms are now filled with highly technical machinery and specialised brushes, disinfectants and cleaners that would have been unimaginable several years ago. Altogether the field has been marked by significant change and innovation in just a few decades. The underlying reasons for these innovations differ, but several driving forces can be identified. These include improved clinical outcomes, increased patient and staff safety, minimised infection risks and, more recently, lower environmental impacts. Some of these forces may seem difficult to marry. Yet, with smart innovation, sustainable design principles and strategic research and development (R&D), medical devices that address several of these factors simultaneously can be designed. Especially in the current climate crisis, it is fundamental that every field evaluates their environmental impact and uncovers ways to minimise this. For example, the healthcare sector accounts for 4.4% of global net emissions.1 It is fundamental that the endoscopic industry and practitioners collaborate to devise medical solutions that improve the standards of care, while also decreasing the field’s environmental footprint. Together we must innovate for patients, practitioners and the planet.
The importance of continuous innovation Endoscopy dates to the early-nineteenth century, when Philip Bozzini used a ‘Lichtleiter’ endoscope with candlelight and mirrors to illuminate the treatment area.2
The PENTAX Medical AquaTYPHOON
have morphed into smart and flexible medical instruments that are used across gastroenterology, pulmonology, urology, ear, nose and throat (ENT), speech and emergency units. The same holds for the reprocessing cycle. Traditionally, this is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process, whereby some steps are manual and not controlled, validated and prone for failure. These manual processes are also very physically taxing on staff members,3
backs after this intensive process. Ulrike Beilenhoff, European Society of
Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Nurses and Associates (ESGENA) Scientific Secretary, during this year’s Hygiene Event underlined that nurses work under high pressure.4
This creates Now endoscopes
a stressful working environment, whereby the already complex processes become more prone to human error. These issues underline that especially the manual steps in the reprocessing cycle can still be improved. Afterall, safeguarding patient safety remains the pinnacle of endoscopy.
Paul J. Caesar, Head of Hygiene, Infection
Control and Reprocessing at PENTAX Medical EMEA, was also present at the Hygiene Event and shared that the advent of automated endoscope reprocessing (AER) addresses these issues of the manual reprocessing cycle.5
He who often suffer from sore wrists or
gave the example of the new AquaTYPHOON. This innovative solution automatically pre-cleans all endoscope channels in just 2-7 minutes, which significantly reduces the daily workload for staff. Its built-in validation and safety features help to prevent human errors.6 The smart technology only requires air and
water, significantly reducing resource usage as it eliminates the need for chemical detergents, as well as single-use brushes, syringes and other waste.7
is minimised by more than 99%.8
As a result, the waste generation Innovations
like these prove that smart technologies can significantly improve the modus operandi of reprocessing rooms, but manual cleaning by staff members will always remain important. As Mr. Caesar stated: “Automation is key, but it is about finding the balance between automation,
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