PENTAX Medical Europe Introduces Brushless Solution for the Automated Pre-Cleaning of Endoscopes
HAMBURG, 14 June 2023 – PENTAX Medical, a division of the HOYA Group, has launched its new brushless solution for automated pre-cleaning of endoscopes: the AquaTYPHOON™. The device, developed by manufacturer PlasmaBiotics in collaboration with PENTAX Medical, offers an alternative to the manual pre-cleaning step in endoscope reprocessing, without the need for brushes or detergent. With this launch, PENTAX Medical takes the lead in standardizing the manual pre-cleaning phase for reusable endoscopes - promoting sustainability and infection prevention in the endoscopy suite.
Enhancing hygiene with automated pre-cleaning technology
The newly launched AquaTYPHOON™ reinforces PENTAX Medical’s commitment to improving patient safety and infection prevention in endoscopy, whilst minimizing environmental impacts. This new brushless solution is equipped with smart technology that effectively removes residue, providing fast and effective automated pre-cleaning. To start with, water is introduced in a pulsed manner into the flow of air. After that, a highly turbulent two‑phase fluid flow creates a strong shear stress that eliminates residues from the channel walls.
By combining air and water, the AquaTYPHOON™ ensures a fully automated process for the brushless pre-cleaning of all endoscope channels, even non-brushable ones. In this way, it caters to the industry need for standardization in the manual pre-cleaning phase, and it enables healthcare professionals to address the hygiene and sustainability challenges they face in their daily clinical practice.
The AquaTYPHOON™ is complemented by the AquaBOX, which prevents splashing of the operator and the surrounding environment with contaminated water. It can be connected to the automated pre-cleaning solution, proving itself a practical addition to any reprocessing unit.
“At PENTAX Medical we believe in ‘the Power of Choice’ – providing a complete portfolio of solutions for the physician to choose the best option for the individual patient. This includes reusable scopes with a reprocessing strategy with the highest margin of safety. The automated precleaning offered by the AquaTYPHOONTM facilitates this” says Harald Huber, Global VP for Product and Category Management at PENTAX Medical.
Supporting reprocessing staff for increased efficiency
Endoscope reprocessing with the AquaTYPHOON™ reduces the daily workload for staff, increases productivity by minimizing the time needed for pre-cleaning and enhances ergonomics. The system is fully compatible with endoscopes from all major manufacturers, and depending on the endoscope type being used, the device reduces channel pre-cleaning time to just 2‑7 minutes. Depending on local guidelines, the AquaTYPHOON™ requires between 2 and 5 times less labor time compared with today’s manual pre-cleaning solutions. Staff is further supported by the height-adjustable feet of the optional AquaBOX, which allow operators to choose an ergonomic position.
Françoise Mével, Senior Health Executive, European Hospital Georges Pompidou, Paris, France shares: “Pre-cleaning endoscopes with the AquaTYPHOON™ system saves time and improves efficiency. This way, it helps us reduce costs and waste while simplifying the procedures for our staff”.
As an automated pre-cleaning device, it has built‑in validation and safety features that help preventing human errors. The automated routine, unlike manual pre-cleaning, is always fully in line with the protocol and the full pre-cleaning procedure is documented. The integrated alarms will make users aware of any errors, and the system offers full traceability with both printed and digital audit‑ready data-records. Moreover, it can be connected to hospital networks and systems for centralized data management.
Balancing patient safety, productivity and sustainability.
While patient safety remains its primary goal, PENTAX Medical also takes hospital budgets into account and strives for greater sustainability. The AquaTYPHOON™ is an ideal solution for endoscopy units looking to minimize their environmental footprint. The pre-cleaning process combines only water and air, without the need for consumables or chemistry. In this way, the solution eliminates almost all waste generation (brushes, syringes and detergent) and immensely reduces water consumption: by 70-89%. Environmental impacts are minimized, as well as healthcare costs.
Huber continues: “At PENTAX Medical we believe in green endoscopy at maximum patient safety. The introduction of the AquaTYPHOON™ demonstrates a part of our contribution to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. In line with SDG 6, Clean Water and Sanitation, and SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, this solution reduces waste and water consumption during endoscope pre-cleaning while providing the highest safety through an automated process.”
After receiving its CE mark in January, this solution is now commercially available.
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About PENTAX Medical
PENTAX Medical is a division of HOYA Group. The company’s mission is to improve the standard of patient care and quality of healthcare delivery by providing the best endoscopic products and services with a focus on QUALITY, CLINICALLY RELEVANT INNOVATION, and SIMPLICITY.
PENTAX Medical strives to align with the healthcare community’s Triple Aim goals through transparent partnerships with its customers and by providing the highest quality solutions to help them reach their goals, including enabling customers to improve patient outcomes by offering evidence-based solutions across the continuum of care; ensuring value by supporting the customers to improve their efficiency and minimise their healthcare costs; and enriching patient and provider’s experience by empowering every member of the care team to achieve optimal outcomes through products, education, and support.
Focused on the outcome instead of technological features, PENTAX Medical listens to the healthcare community and their patients, understands their daily obstacles and helps improve endoscopy with smart innovations.
For more information: www.pentaxmedical.com
About PlasmaBiotics
PlasmaBiotics, founded in 2011, is an innovative company specialized in the cleaning, drying and storage of endoscopes. PlasmaBiotics products deliver superior and efficient performance by significantly reducing endoscope reprocessing cycle times and minimizing the risk of bacterial contamination through highly effective cleaning and drying mechanisms for the endoscopic channels and active storage of the endoscopes using plasma technology. In 2018, PENTAX Medical, a division of the HOYA Group, acquired a controlling interest in PlasmaBiotics SAS.
About HOYA
Founded in 1941 in Tokyo, Japan, HOYA Corporation is a global technology and med‑tech company and a leading supplier of innovative high‑tech and medical products. HOYA is active in the fields of healthcare and information technology, providing eyeglasses, medical endoscopes, intraocular lenses, optical lenses, as well as key components for semiconductor devices, LCD panels, and hard disk drives. With over 150 offices and subsidiaries worldwide, HOYA currently employs a multinational workforce of 37,000 people.
For more information, please visit: hoya.com
