EndoSheath Provides Alternative to High-Level Disinfection of Flexible Endoscopes

Results of a clinical study suggest a sterile barrier sheath system may eliminate the need for nasendoscope high-level disinfection.
One hundred flexible endoscopes using the Slide-On EndoSheath sterile barrier system distributed by Medtronic Inc. were evaluated for sheath integrity and bacterial contamination after use in patients. The study was conducted at an ambulatory ENT clinic using standard 30 cm flexible nasopharyngoscopes.
Immediately after use, the barrier sheaths were removed and leak tested to confirm that there were no tears or holes created during use. An additional 20 unused sterile barrier sheaths were also leak tested to assess the possibility of pre-use leaks. All leak testing results showed no failures.
The study showed that following use of the sterile EndoSheath and an enzymatic detergent cleaning and ethanol disinfection procedure, the scopes were negative for any bacterial presence.