How to expand the service life of flexible nephroscopes? Put a sheath on!

Technologic advances in endourologic surgical material have led to improved image quality, power sources, and auxiliary material (probes, nitinol baskets, etc.). Nevertheless, this material is more expensive, especially the flexible endoscopic material--ureterorenoscopes and nephroscopes. We present a method to expand (average) mean life of flexible nephroscopes: An efficient and cheap protective cover.