A reliable eye on health with IDS Imaging Development Systems

Rigid endoscopes are used in medical diagnostics and therapy to examine body cavities and hollow organs and to perform minimally invasive procedures. To avoid risks for patients and medical staff, the devices must function perfectly.

Reliable quality testing is intended above all to exclude risks from infections and injuries but also misdiagnoses.

Quality assurance of rigid endoscopes

In many countries, hospitals are required by law to regularly check and maintain their endoscopes to ensure that they function properly and do not contain any germs that are harmful to health. 

In addition, some European guidelines and standards regulate the quality assurance of rigid endoscopes. These checks are carried out by specially trained staff and include endoscopy tests and sterilisation tests as well as extensive visual inspections.

Automated and networked systems

Particularly handy, small, light, cost-effective, and fast is the automatic endoscope tester LightControl

The Dutch company Dovideq Medical Systems B.V. specialises in measuring instruments for minimally invasive surgery. The current product range is aimed at central sterilisation departments in hospitals, endoscope manufacturers, and endoscope repair companies.

For the inspection of rigid endoscopes, Dovideq Medical Systems has developed various automated and networked systems. Particularly handy, small, light, cost-effective, and fast is the automatic endoscope tester LightControl. Using six test and measurement parameters, detailed data on the condition of the endoscope is recorded and evaluated. This ensures that only flawless endoscopes reach the operating theatre.

LightControl system

The LightControl system ensures a high degree of efficiency and reliability with the help of IDS cameras from the LE camera family.

For the safety of all, for the well-being of the patients, and ultimately also for the benefit of the hospital balance sheet.

Importance of hygiene and sterility

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the importance of hygiene and sterility of endoscopes and other medical devices even more to the fore, leading to a greater awareness of the need for automated inspection procedures.

An endoscope that has not been properly cleaned and disinfected can cause the transmission of infection, and a defective endoscope can lead to injury during patient examination or treatment. No less serious are the consequences of a misdiagnosis or incorrect treatment if an endoscope does not function properly or is damaged, resulting in incorrect images.

Causes of defects, impaired functioning

Lenses and other optical components can wear out over time, resulting in blurred or distorted images

Quality defects and the associated impaired functioning of an endoscope can have various origins. In addition to incorrect handling and lack of maintenance, these include factors such as material fatigue and contamination.

Improper transport or unsuitable storage can also lead to damage, as can the simple aging of the medical device. Lenses and other optical components can wear out over time, resulting in blurred or distorted images. 

Impact of sterilisation

To prevent bacteria or other pathogens from settling on the endoscope and thus not only impairing the quality of the images but, in the worst case, also harming the person being treated, they are regularly sterilised.

However, the sterilisation process can also affect the quality and accuracy of medical devices, as the high temperatures and chemical substances used in the process can be potentially harmful to the sensitive components of the endoscope. In particular, heat and steam can trap moisture in the lenses and cause damage. In addition, some sterilising substances, such as formaldehyde, can have a corrosive effect on metal parts.

LightControl visual inspection system

As complex as the possible causes are, as versatile are the possible damages of an endoscope. To efficiently deal with the complexity of the required inspection criteria, Dovideq Medical Systems has developed the patented LightControl visual inspection system.

“With the help of the camera, it sees far more than the human eye of a surgeon, for example, dirt particles, lens fractures, impurities or colour deviations,” explains Chielant de Wit, Managing Director of Dovideq Medical Systems.

"With the help of the test and measurement details, information about the performance of the tested endoscopes can be evaluated and history and trend analyses can be created," explains Chielant de Wit.

"LightControl stores all details of the endoscope measurements, together with the test results, in a database called EndoscopeManager for reporting and management purposes, enabling dedicated management and quality reporting."

Handling the example of the ScopeControl® product

The automated visual inspection of endoscopes serves quality assurance, efficiency, and patient safety"

According to Chielant de Wit, the customer benefits are obvious. "The automated visual inspection of endoscopes serves quality assurance, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and patient safety in hospitals and medical practices."

"Systems like LightControl make a significant contribution to this by providing objective results and detecting even the smallest defects, scratches or wear on endoscopes."

Accuracy and consistency

"Moreover, they always work with the same accuracy and consistency, regardless of factors such as fatigue or human error, and are much faster. This saves time and costs, leads to higher equipment availability and improved resource utilisation."

"Potential defects or damage are detected at an early stage, which can avoid costly repairs or replacement of endoscopes. The resulting images or videos are available as proof of inspection and can be used for fault analysis and training purposes if required."

Outlook

"Endoscopes are vital medical devices that enable doctors to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions by providing a clear, internal view of a patient's body."

"However, like any medical device, endoscopes are subject to wear and tear, and over time they may need to be repaired or replaced," says Chielant de Wit.

Artificial intelligence

Due to growing procedures, the demand for automated inspection technologies will be stronger

Already the demand for automated intelligent visual inspection of endoscopes is high and is expected to increase further in the coming years. In particular, due to the increasing number of endoscopy procedures and the growing sensitivity to infection risks, the demand for automated inspection technologies will become stronger.

In addition, artificial intelligence will help improve the efficiency and accuracy of inspection processes and minimise human error.

Addressing the needs in the health sector

The needs of the health sector are evolving as fast as the technologies used in this field. The use of IDS cameras is increasingly proving its worth here.

"In medical technology, the demand for our products has increased particularly in the past year, which pleases us not only from an economic point of view," explains IDS Managing Director Jan Hartmann. More and more IDS cameras are thus contributing to health promotion worldwide.

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