Multi-Center Evaluation of Optical Degradation Patterns in Rigid Endoscopes: A Data-Driven Approach

Area of Science:

• Medical device quality control
• Surgical instrument maintenance
• Optical engineering

Background:

• Rigid endoscopes are critical surgical tools.
• Maintaining endoscope optical quality is essential for patient safety and procedure effectiveness.
• The ScopeControl system provides objective optical quality measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze ScopeControl data to evaluate hospital strategies for endoscope management.
• To compare the performance and longevity of new versus repaired endoscopes.
• To identify factors influencing endoscope failure and inform maintenance strategies.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 500,000 measurements from 95 global ScopeControl devices.
• Inclusion of repair and surgical usage data from UMC Utrecht.
• Custom software used for data filtering and trend parameter calculation (initial/average quality, quality decrease, time to failure).

Main Results:

• Significant variations in endoscope lifespan (15-400 usages) and quality were observed.
• Repaired endoscopes showed a 30% shorter median lifespan and 11% lower median light transmission than new ones.
• Sudden failures, often due to lens damage, were common; entry measurements are recommended due to quality variability.

Conclusions:

• ScopeControl facilitates objective endoscope quality assessment and data-driven repair/replacement decisions.
• Repaired endoscopes generally exhibit inferior optical quality and longevity compared to new instruments.
• Further data collection and improved repair processes are needed to optimize endoscope maintenance and extend device lifespan.