Accelerating Endoscopy Efficiencies

Accelerating Endoscopy Efficiencies
Today's Tools are Faster, Safer and More Economical

By Tina Brooks

Healthcare providers often measure success in terms of return on investment, both in profits and the quality of patient care. With this in mind, today's medical products and services are being designed to help providers deliver better patient care faster, more safely and at lower costs. Here's a look at some of the latest medical products and services to assist providers in reaching their goals.

STERIS

Designed specifically for ASCs, STERIS provides a variety of compact and versatile equipment that is ideal for smaller spaces. STERIS' Amsco Reliance 333 Washer/ Disinfector eliminates the need for manual cleaning. The washer/disinfector can be configured with a two-level instrument rack or rigid minimally invasive surgical (MIS) instrument rack to optimize the cleaning of a variety of instruments. Upon completion of the cleaning cycle, the instruments are thermally disinfected and safe for personnel to handle. For sterilization, STERIS offers the tabletop SYSTEM 1 Sterile Processing System, which has become an industry standard for sterilizing heat-sensitive devices. To meet ASC's increasing use of materially complex devices, STERIS continually introduces new SYSTEM 1 accessories to allow sterile processing of these sophisticated devices.

The Century Small 16 x 16 or 20 x 20 is the ideal size steam sterilizer for rapid, efficient processing of heat and moisture-stable materials in alternate care as well as acute care settings. These sterilizers are available with 3 cycle options; gravity, gravity/prevac and gravity/prevac/steam flush pressure pulse.

"Steam is the mainstay of sterilization in healthcare today and what we have done is taken our technology and just made sure that it is the appropriate size," says Richard Rumble, vice president and general manager of sterile processing at STERIS. "We recognize that these sizes are not only used in acute care, but also ambulatory care and doctor's offices around the country."

The most recent additions to the STERIS steam product line include the STATIM 2000, STATIM 5000 and QUANTIM 16 tabletop sterilizers. These sterilizers work well as a back-up flash sterilization unit, for procedures that use smaller instruments sets and require rapid turnaround or as a partner to the STERIS System 1. The STATIM units employ unique cassette technology to minimize the chances of instrument contamination during transport and can flash sterilize unwrapped instruments in only 6 and 9.5 minutes respectively. The QUANTIM 16 is suitable for larger loads. No special plumbing or electrical hook-up is required for either the STATIM or QUANTIM.

STERIS also offers the Harmony Surgical Lighting and Visualization System, a flexible infrastructure that allows the OR to add technologies such as flat panels, light heads and fiber optic light sources while configuring the suite for maximum utilization and integrating with endoscopy equipment. "The Harmony Equipment Management System, also offered by STERIS, provides excellent workplaces for the anesthesiologist in the OR," says Kristin Simoens, marketing director of the surgical products group at STERIS. "Problems created by cables and hoses are eliminated by bringing the gas and electric connections to the equipment. Endoscopy equipment does not have to be managed on carts and room set up is much more efficient." Additionally, STERIS is available to assist customers with optimizing the design of their facilities, whether in the stages of pre-planning or remodeling.

(800) 548-4873 or www.steris.com

METREX

Metrex produces a full line of infection control products, including enzymatic detergents and high level disinfectants and sterilants such as MetriZyme, MetriSponge and MetriCide; surface disinfectants; and hand-care products. One of Metrex's newer products is EmPower Foam, a foaming dual enzymatic 24-ounce spray for the pre-cleaning of instruments.

"If you're not going to be cleaning (instruments) for 3 or 4 hours, you spray the foam on (them)," says Rossana Fernandez, marketing director at Metrex. "It doesn't allow the blood or anything like that to dry on the instruments." The ready-to-use spray cleans away blood, tissue, mucous and other protein rich body fluids.

EmPower is also available as a detergent that is suitable for both manual and automated reprocessing systems and washer sterilizers and decontaminators. The detergent contains two different proteolytic enzymes that work in a range of temperatures and PH conditions; surfactants that clean away lipids, starches and inorganic debris, and prevents debris from re-depositing on instruments.

(800) 841-1428 or www.metrex.com

INSTRUMENT SPECIALISTS, INC.

Instrument Specialists, Inc. (ISI) is a medical service and supply company that repairs flexible and rigid endoscopes, phacoemulsifier systems, handpiece and electronic equipment. Major manufacturers' models serviced include Olympus, Pentax, Fujinon, ACMI and Storz. Replacing bending rubbers and biopsy channels are among the routine repairs made by ISI technicians. ISI takes the extra step by loaning scopes to customers during the repair period and providing a quarterly report tracking endoscopes repairs.

Instrument Specialists' tradition of quality, attention to detail and commitment to customer service makes the endoscopic repair division of ISI a leader in flexible endoscope repairs. The full-service labs offer same-day minor repairs to complete overhauls of scopes. ISI also offers endoscopic products, specialty and OR tables for hand surgery, the Alumi-hand, Digi-Grip, cleaners and brushes.

(800) 537-1945 or www.isisurgery.com

MEDICAL CONCEPTS DEVELOPMENT

Medical Concepts Development offers an assortment of latex-free drapes, including PREP-Drape, ACTI-Gard, ColoSHIELD and Vi-Drape. PREP-Drape, a non-sterile towel drape, comes on a 50-foot roll dispenser. The drape is perforated for easy removal and the adhesive liner allows for easy application. Acti-Gard antimicrobial incise drapes reduces the risk of skin-flora contamination of patients during surgical procedures. The stable iodine-based complex contained in ACTI-Gard remains effective during long procedures. The ColoSHIELD colonoscopy drape provides protection for clinical staff from patient secretions during colonoscopy procedures as well as helping maintain a cleaner procedural site. The original line of Vi-Drape products is also available, including isolation bags, wound protectors, adhesive spray, surgical film and incise drapes.

(800) 533- 3974 or www.medconceptsdev.com

THE SCOPE EXCHANGE

The Scope Exchange is a comprehensive source for maintenance, repair and refurbishment of medical instrumentation. Along with service and quality repairs, The Scope Exchange offers the LeakCheck Cap Tester and the Divine Disposable Endoscopic Cleaning Brush. The LeakCheck Cap Tester decreases the risk of endoscope fluid invasion by confirming water resistant caps are truly water resistant.

"There was not a device (on the market) to check the water resistance or the air tightness of the cap itself, so we designed a product to encompass that," says David Mount II, vice president of The Scope Exchange.

Divine Disposable Endoscopic Cleaning Brushes are offered in two convenient colors for quick identification of catheter and brush sizes. The rounded tip provides a smooth insertion into the channel and maximizes removal of debris from flexible endoscopes.

(888) 252-1542 or www.scopex.com