Sterilization of Flexible Endoscopes | 合法醫療器材資訊網

Toeffectivelysterilizethesescopes,weareleftwithethyleneoxide.However,anewtechnologyisemergingthatpromisestomitigatetheissueoflength:hydrogen ...

To begin a discussion about the benefits of sterilizing flexible endoscopes versus high level disinfection (HLD), it is first important to understand the key differences between the two. Most importantly, HLD does not fully eliminate all microbes present on the device being disinfected. Specifically, HLD leaves behind a small number of bacterial spores.[1] In contrast, sterilization processes leave no viable microorganisms behind, including spores.

ChallengesOne of the key challenges to sterilizing endoscopes is the complexity of the devices. They are highly specialized, made of unique materials, and vary greatly in length. The smallest common flexible endoscope, the rhinolaryngoscope, only has a working length of 300mm long. A colonoscopy, on the other hand, used to visualize and inspect the colon, has a working length of 1680mm, or 1.68m, which is...