DECONTAMINATION
In 1984, following debates revolving around the challenges of washing and disinfecting endoscopes, Gerrit Wassenburg recognised the need for a new endoscope washer-disinfector and began designing his patented concept.
interruptions can be avoided.” While increasing intelligence in the EWD will provide additional safeguards to reprocessing operations, this extra functionality also needs to be accessible for healthcare providers – capital investment can often present a barrier to procuring the latest technology.
“In terms of EWDs, hospitals are sweating their assets, right to the end of their lifespan,” commented Rakesh Javer, managing director, Wassenburg UK. “In addition, some hospitals believe they can use external staff or agencies, when in fact it is very specialist work. Reprocessing requires much more than simply manually washing a scope – you have to check the integrity of the scope and be able to operate the EWDs. Our machines are quite easy to use, but you still need the correct training. All of this requires investment and many Trusts are facing significant financial challenges.” Wassenburg Medical has developed a
‘pay-per-use’ model to address this issue. The hospital only pays for the actual number of processes carried out each year for the duration of the contract. It facilitates a clear calculation of the cost per reprocessing cycle and includes the cost of equipment, process chemicals and consumables, preventive and corrective maintenance, and training of personnel. “With pay-per-use, a large upfront capital investment is not needed. This conserves capital, improves cash flow and eases financial constraint, resulting in easier access to new technology,” Rakesh
explained. “It is an innovative solution and we are seeing significant interest.”
Endoscope design
The final piece in the reprocessing puzzle is an extremely challenging one to solve – the endoscope itself. Endoscopes are complex instruments that contain many small working parts and hard to clean lumens. While EWDs can improve the efficacy of the process, manufacturers of endoscopes are also having to consider the practicalities of infection control in the designs of their devices. “Wassenburg Medical is now part of the Hoya Group and Pentax is one of our sister companies – our R&D teams have regular meetings to gain a better understanding of what is being developed but also to advise each other. We are coming from the angle of infection control and this knowledge can be used in the next generation of endoscopes. Ultimately, this is about patient safety.” CSJ
References 1 Wang, P, et al, Rates of infection after colonoscopy and osophagogastroduodenoscopy in ambulatory surgery centres in the USA, GUT, 2018, accessed at:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29777042/
2 Junghoon, H, et al, Current Issues in Duodenoscope- Associated Infections: Now Is the Time to Take Action Clin Endosc. 2015 Sep; 48(5): 361–363. Published online 2015 Sep 30. doi: 10.5946/ce.2015.48.5.361
3 Department of Health and Social Care, Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 01-06, accessed at: https://www.
gov.uk/government/publications/management-and- decontamination-of-flexible-endoscopes
4 BSG Guidance for Decontamination of Equipment for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: The Report of a Working
40 l
WWW.CLINICALSERVICESJOURNAL.COM
Party of the British Society of Gastroenterology Endoscopy Committee, March 2014, Revised November 2016. Accessed at:
https://www.bsg.
org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Guidance-for- Decontamination-of-Equipment-for-Gastrointestinal- Endoscopy_-2017-Edition-3.pdf
5 MHRA, Tope ten tips on endoscope decontamination, August 2013. Accessed at:
https://www.gov.uk/ government/publications/top-10-tips-on-endoscope- decontamination
6 Kenters, N, et al, Infectious diseases linked to cross-contamination of flexible endoscopes, Endosc Int Open. 2015 Aug; 3(4): E259–E265. Published online 2015 Jun 19. doi: 10.1055/s-0034-1392099. Accessed at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC4554517/)
7 Medical Device Alert. Ref: MDA/2012/037. Issued 28 June 2012 (MHRA). Accessed at
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/ media/5485abf1ed915d4c0d000261/con160567.pdf
Wassenburg
Medical Originally a family-owned business, the company was first established in 1984 by Gerrit Wassenburg. In 2002, Gerrit passed the torch to his sons Arno and Ronald, who lead the business today. In 2013, Wassenburg became part of the Hoya Lifecare Group. This alliance created a platform for synergy with Pentax and enabled additional growth into new markets and segments, such as the Asia Pacific region.
OCTOBER 2020
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