Development of an Endoscope Reprocessor Using Ozonated Water Jets

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Microbiology
• Water Treatment Technologies

Background:

• Endoscope reprocessing is critical for preventing healthcare-associated infections.
• Conventional methods can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
• Ozone has potent antimicrobial properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an innovative endoscope reprocessing system utilizing ozonated water jets.
• To assess the system's efficacy in disinfecting endoscopes contaminated with common bacteria.
• To determine if the system offers a more efficient alternative to current reprocessing protocols.

Main Methods:

• A novel reprocessing system with a vertically moving jet head was designed.
• Ozonated water was employed for both external surface disinfection and internal channel irrigation.
• Quantitative and qualitative microbiological analyses assessed disinfection effectiveness against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli after enzymatic detergent washing.

Main Results:

• The system demonstrated uniform disinfection across all endoscope surfaces.
• A 4-log (99.99%) reduction in bacterial colony-forming units (CFU/mL) was achieved.
• Qualitative analysis confirmed the absence of bacterial growth, indicated by no turbidity.

Conclusions:

• The developed endoscope reprocessor effectively reduces bacterial load by 99.99% using ozonated water jets.
• This system presents a potentially more resource-efficient reprocessing alternative, using only 8 liters of water per cycle.
• The combination of mechanical water jet action and ozone's antimicrobial properties, with a 15-minute processing time, proved effective.