Flexible (Fiber) duodenoscopes

Tips and Guidelines for Buying a Duodenoscope

GI endoscopes with various light sources and video processors, used to view and treat diseases of the first segment of the small intestine.

Tips for Buying a Duodenoscope

1. The most important quality of the duodenoscope's image is the optical quality.

2. The following factors determine this quality: the ability of the fiber optic cables and the light source to adequately illuminate the area under view; the ability of the lens system to transmit a clear and bright image with minimal distortion to the eyepiece.

3. When making a fiber optic duodenoscope purchase, facilities should consider the device's sensitivity to heat, the time and temperature of rinsing required, the reuse life of the cleaning solution, and the use of manual or automatic processing.

4. Other issues to consider include shelf life, disposal restrictions, and minimum effective concentration of the cleaning solution.

5. Gastrointestinal endoscope buyers should also examine the safety and cost per cycle, as well as the educational options provided by the manufacturer. They should keep in mind that preventive maintenance training can eliminate costly repairs to delicate duodenoscope components

6. The differences between these flexible endoscope units include differences in image brightness and resolution, depth of focus, magnification, color differentiation, angle of vision, and field of view.

7. Videoscopes depend on the number of pixels on the CCD to illuminate the area under view, while Fiberscopes and videoscopes both depend on the light guide.

8. Videoscopes and fiberscopes with cameras depend on the ability of image processors to transmit clear images to the viewing screen.

9. All flexible endoscopes should be compatible with multiple processors. They should also be compatible with multiple light sources.

10. Users can clean the lens without removing the Duodenoscope, using lens washing.

11. Fiber optic duodenoscope buyers should look into the cleaning process of the scope. They should carefully review their duodenoscope reprocessing protocol to make sure it coincides with the recommendations from the manufacturer.

12. In places where EtO gas sterilization is the preferred reprocessing procedure, there might be an increased need for more duodenoscopes in order to meet daily caseload requirements.

13. There are users who want to automate part of their reprocessing with liquid disinfecting or sterilizing units. 14. When reviewing high-level disinfection or sterilization, facilities should look into the operator manual as well as the facility's infection control and risk management.

Questions for the Seller

Before you purchase your Duodenoscope, we recommend you ask the seller the following questions:

General

Are there any black dots on the visual field?