The world’s first device for removing bacterial biofilm from endoscopes – surgical techniques

Photo: Khamsin is the only automatic scope cleaner currently available on the market that also eliminates human error (photo courtesy of PFE Medical)

Endoscopes, long, thin instruments with a light and a camera on one end, are essential for internal medical examinations. Despite progress, sufficient cleaning of these tools remains a significant challenge. Due to the sensitivity of materials and electronics, endoscopes cannot be subjected to standard sterilization procedures used for other medical and laboratory equipment. They require meticulous and lengthy cleaning processes to avoid contamination. However, even with rigorous cleaning, endoscopes can retain bacterial biofilms – dense collections of bacteria that adhere to surfaces and to each other, protected by a slimy layer. These biofilms exhibit increased resistance to both antibiotics and disinfectants, which can lead to severe infections and even death of patients despite thorough disinfection efforts. Now, a new device aims to streamline the endoscope cleaning process and prevent contamination by automatically removing bacterial biofilm that can cause infections.

Aston University (Birmingham, UK) is collaborating with PFE Medical (Staffordshire, UK), a company specializing in medical products, to improve the cleaning of endoscopes. They are investigating whether fiber optic probes equipped with ultraviolet (UV) light can effectively detect biofilms inside endoscopes. This research could lead to a pioneering device that inspects endoscopes and ensures they are free of biofilm before use, thereby improving patient safety. This initiative builds on previous successful collaboration between Aston University and PFE Medical, which developed a device called Khamsin, which has significantly improved the endoscope cleaning process and is currently being tested in real-world conditions. This new partnership will leverage PFE Medical’s expertise in endoscope functionality alongside Aston University’s Institute of Photonics Technologies (AIPT), renowned for its leading research in photonics, medical lasers and biosensing technologies, to potentially transform the safety and cleanliness of endoscopes in healthcare settings.

“Biofilm is a hidden killer and we currently have no way of detecting it without completely disassembling these medical devices,” said Rob Hartley, managing director of PFE Medical. “Concerns about microbial resistance are growing, and finding a way to objectively detect bacteria would be a real innovation that would have a global impact.”

“It was exciting to go to PFE Medical recently and see Khamsin in action, knowing that this new product comes from a project that only ended last year,” said Professor Kate Sugden, associate dean of the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, who will lead design. “It will be a challenge to compare the success of the previous project with that, but I am optimistic that we will be able to leverage our combined talents and facilities again to make a significant contribution to solving this problem.”

Related links:
Aston University
PFE Medicine