Comparison of brushing efficacy for gastroscopes using different brush types under simulated contamination conditions

Channel-cleaning brushes are an important tool in the reprocessing of endoscopes.

To investigate the efficacy of cleaning brushes composed of various materials in removing organic matter from the biopsy channels of flexible endoscopes.

In total, 168 cleaned gastroscopes were divided at random into six groups (A, B, C1, C2, C3 and D) based on the specific characteristics of four different types of cleaning brush. A suspension containing 12% bovine serum and 10⁶ units of Escherichia coli was injected into the biopsy channels of each endoscope to ensure sufficient contamination. After a 5-min incubation period, brushing and sampling were performed according to the experimental protocol. The effectiveness of the cleaning process was evaluated using a protein detection test and an adenosine triphosphate test.

Cleaning brushes with a metal shaft demonstrated superior performance in removing organic matter from flexible endoscopes compared with cleaning brushes with a plastic shaft (P<0.05). Similarly, brushes with bristles made of cylindrical DuPont fibres exhibited superior cleaning efficacy compared with those made of strip microfibres or caterpillar polyolefins (P<0.05). Better results were achieved when the cleaning brush was passed through the biopsy channel four times compared with once or twice (100%).

From the perspective of cleaning outcomes and economic benefits, the use of a cleaning brush with a metal shaft and cylindrical DuPont fibre bristles during the reprocessing of flexible endoscopes, combined with a cleaning technique involving four brush passes through the biopsy channels, can remove organic matter more effectively compared with the use of a cleaning brush made of microfibres, polyolefins and plastics.