Low-cost disposable endoscope: pros and cons | 合法醫療器材資訊網

由MCiocîrlan著作·2019·被引用8次—Conventionalendoscopeshavehighacquisitioncosts–20,000to$40,000foranupperendoscopyorcolonoscopytubeandaround$80,000to$ ...

Keith Obstein and collaborators from the Vanderbilt University, United States, have designed and developed a low-cost $ 35 disposable endoscope 1 . This endoscope uses a joystick-like driving mechanism which controls the endoscope tip. Their team proved its feasibility in examining the esophagus and the stomach of an ex-vivo phantom model. Unexperienced users had similar performance using a conventional scope and the new disposable scope and favor the later.

Conventional endoscopes have high acquisition costs –  20,000 to $ 40,000 for an upper endoscopy or colonoscopy tube and around $ 80,000 to $ 120,000 for a complete two-tube working system to explore both the upper and the lower gastrointestinal tract. Costs for an additional endoscopic ultrasound system are in the range of $ 200,000.

Use of conventional scopes requires higher levels of continuous training and skil...