process. When adding the borescope, the cleaning process goes like
this:
• manual cleaning and leak testing;
• testing of residual soils (at many facilities);
• a borescope evaluation and then;
• high-level disinfection or sterilization.
Timing is based on facility preference. Some hold off on using the
borescope until after full reprocessing.
With patient safety and surgeon satisfaction so important, these few
extra steps are well worth it. No facility wants to be the next
"superbug" headline.
Let's think about biopsy channels. It's typically a Teflon material.
The material must be stiff enough so it keeps its shape, but pliable
enough that articulation of the distal end remains possible. Imagine
Infection Prevention
IP
3 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8
• DARK PLACES AND SPACES Small-diameter borescopes let you see inside of a device to verify cleanliness before (or after) high-
level disinfection or terminal sterilization.
