Stringent endoscope cleaning between procedures is vital. However, with so many steps in the process – plus high demand for rapid turnaround of endoscopes – contamination and biofilm build-up are still being reported. Endoscope hygiene and cleaning protocols were central to an online event organised by Pentax Medical, with important contributions from leading specialists. The event examined…
Improving hygiene standards is important to patient safety. What better way to learn more about considerations for improving hygiene standards, than from first hand experiences from medical professionals? Research shows that to create and maintain an endoscopes’ disinfected status, complete drying is an absolute necessity. Flexible endoscopes should be completely dried after completion of the…
Patient safety in endoscopy must be approached from a holistic perspective, through solutions which increase detection rates of abnormalities, increase confidence in the safety of the reprocessing outcome, and control the risk of infection and cross-contamination. With these important benefits in mind, manufacturers should be continuously working to innovate products to establish solutions that…
Safety and protection for patients and healthcare professionals during routine procedures is imperative for Fujifilm, which it intends to pursue by constantly innovating its offering of accessories and instruments for endoscopy. The company announced the launch of the Mouthpiece “B1” incorporating a sponge rubber, a droplet reduction accessory, and a drape shield specifically created to catch…
Sony has announced an update to its vendor-neutral medical imaging platform Nucleus. This version built in direct response to the pandemic, introduces remote patient observation with new recording functionalities for use in the operating room (OR), Intensive Care Units (ICU), endoscopy suites, interventional rooms or anywhere else in the hospital.
Olympus Corporation announced the launch of Endo-Aid, a platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that includes the endoscopy application Endo-Aid CADe (computer-aided detection) for the colon. This new AI platform enables real-time display of automatically detected suspicious lesions and works in combination with Olympus’ recently introduced EVIS X1, its most advanced endoscopy system…
An AI (Artificial Intelligence) assisted polyp detector is helping endoscopists find more lesions during colorectal examinations. Leading endoscopists highlighted how the system is improving performance and finding flat or hidden polyps that the human eye could miss, in a webinar entitled “Artificial Intelligence - How to unleash the potential for colorectal polyp detection.” Hosted by the…
The healthcare system of Taiwan, renowned for its ability to tackle challenges, has held up very well during the COVID-19 pandemic. To underline the nation’s role as a healthcare innovator, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) presented several of the most promising companies and their products in an exclusive webinar. The event showcased cutting-edge technologies as well as…
Human factor aspects of reprocessing can never be completely avoided yet staff can be empowered to reduce the risk of infection. This was an important conclusion established at a multidisciplinary expert panel held at Pentax Medical’s R&D Center, discussing infection risk mitigation in endoscopy. This panel of experts, consisting of physicians, nurses, microbiologists, infection control…
Pentax Medical, a division of the Hoya Group, announced that it has cleared CE mark for Discovery, an innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted polyp detector designed to support endoscopists in finding potential polyps during a colorectal examination. Discovery is the outcome of a close cooperation between Pentax Medical research center located in Augsburg, Germany, and expert clinical…
Johns Hopkins engineers have created a new lens-free ultra-miniaturized endoscope, the size of a few human hairs in width, that is less bulky and can produce higher quality images. Their findings were published in Science Advances. “Usually, you have sacrifice either size or image quality. We’ve been able to achieve both with our microendoscope,” says Mark Foster, an associate professor of…
Minimally-invasive surgery (MIS) benefits from 3D visualization with improved image quality and depth perception. Now, a 3D solution for gastroscopy and colonoscopy is available, by simply connecting a device to the hospital’s existing flexible endoscopy equipment with a 3D monitor. This solution is presented by MedicalTek (MDTK), a Taiwanese company specialized in the field of medical image…
In practice, the drying of the endoscope is often underestimated and therefore a possible pitfall for hygiene and reprocessing steps. As the importance of endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) procedures and their impact on patients’ lives remains unwavering, the medical community is continuously looking for ways to improve this field of expertise. What better way to learn more…
Duodenoscopes have been long recognized to require precise execution of reprocessing instructions to properly clean and disinfect. According to Beilenhoff, et al. (2018), it is crucial to follow the manufacturer’s Instructions for Use (“IFU”) at all times to make sure the duodenoscopes are properly cleaned. Yet, IFUs are not always easy to follow.
In endoscope reprocessing, time and storage space are always limited. During the ESGE Days in Prague the IKEM hospital facilitated the live procedures and had to deal with an exceptionally high demand for endoscope reprocessing. Hana Kubecova, head nurse of their endoscopy department, explains how a new solution, the PlasmaTYPHOON, helped her team to deal with this high work load whilst still…
Recent publications have stated that several outbreaks have been caused by insufficient drying of duodenoscopes. Due to their complex design, duodenoscopes have been long recognized to require thorough processes and precise execution to properly disinfect. Read more to understand how Pentax Medical is tackling hygiene as both a challenge and priority within endoscopy.
Engineers have developed a prototype endoscope which they say could cut the cost of manufacture from £80,000 to just £40. The redesigned device has the potential to revolutionise cancer screening in low-to-middle income countries where the cost of equipment makes screening prohibitively expensive. The endoscope is designed to see inside the upper part of the digestive tract for signs of…
Biotechnologists, physicists, and medical researchers at FAU have developed technology for microscopic imaging in living organisms. A miniaturised multi-photon microscope, which could be used in an endoscope in future, excites the body’s own molecules to illuminate and enables cells and tissue structures to be imaged without the use of synthetic contrast agents. The findings have now been…
Physicians in Germany remove around 200,000 gall bladders annually, mostly by minimally invasive surgery, the so-called keyhole surgery. While gall bladders and appendices can be removed through a tiny aperture in the body, large tumours cannot. Patients also profit from the keyhole technique with joint and bone problems in the knee, shoulder or elbow. Advantages: small cuts, less blood loss,…
A significantly more effective, minimally invasive treatment for pancreatic tumors may be on the horizon, thanks to a new endoscopy tool created in the Penn State Department of Mechanical Engineering. On average, only about 20 percent of pancreatic cancer patients are eligible for a surgical removal of the tumor, which is currently the most-effective treatment option. The location of the pancreas…
This could be a major step towards a better understanding of the functions of deeply hidden brain compartments, such as the formation of memories, as well as related dysfunctions, including Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers from the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz IPHT) in Jena and the University of Edinburgh have succeeded in using a hair-thin fibre endoscope to gain insights…
Hygiene is still a leading topic in endoscopy, and education remains crucial in Europe, according to Ulrike Beilenhoff, scientific secretary of the European Society of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Nurses and Associates (ESGENA). The two subjects took centre stage during the 21st ESGENA Conference, held during UEG Week in Barcelona this October. With around 600 participants, lectures, posters,…
3-D visualisation, augmented reality, automated tumour classification – today, the Republic of China produces cutting-edge medical technology and it’s a long time since ‘Made in Taiwan’ stood for inferior, copied products. Over recent years, this island state has successfully morphed into a productive and, above all, innovative manufacturer of medical technology available on the world…
Pentax Europe, a healthcare industry leader in endoscopic imaging, and Hitachi Medical Systems Europe, a leading company in medical imaging, recently announced renewed joint collaborative efforts to enable further innovations in the development of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). In this latest joint development, the two companies are launching a new ultrasound video bronchoscope for endobronchial…
Surgeons at Johns Hopkins Medicine report that their first series of a minimally invasive procedure to treat chronic pancreas disease, known as severe pancreatitis, resulted in shorter hospital stays, less need for opioids and fewer complications, compared with standard surgical approaches.