According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Infection Control, storing endoscopes in an automated cabinet with channel drying functionality effectively reduced bacterial growth in the scopes. Because endoscopes are reusable medical instruments, minimizing the amount of bacterial growth in the periods between procedures can dramatically improve patient safety. The study, performed

The ECRI Institute, based in Philadelphia, has just released its annual list of patient safety concerns for 2020.  This year’s list includes an entry at number 5 for device cleaning, disinfection and sterilization, echoing prior year concerns about sub-standard disinfection practices for flexible endoscopes and other reusable medical equipment. ECRI’s list is the result of

Olympus has joined the list of duodenoscope manufacturers receiving the green light to market a duodenoscope with disposable components by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Following closely on the heels of Pentax and Fujifilm’s models with disposable components, and Boston Scientific’s fully disposable duodenoscope, Olympus is now cleared to sell a duodenoscope

Shortly following the recent United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of the first duodenoscopes with disposable components, the bureau is now recommending that facilities move to the new models where available. The FDA firmly believes that a move to disposable parts, and in some cases fully disposable scopes, will help reduce infection risks.