Medtronic uses new study to push sterile endoscope sheaths

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — A new study suggests that sterile sheaths are as effective in preventing contamination of endoscopes as the traditional method of soaking the instruments in germicidal liquid, device giant Medtronic said.

As luck would have it, Medtronic sells just such an endoscopic sheath. Flexible endoscopes are used by ear, nose and throat doctors to examine patients for conditions such as acid reflux disease, snoring and chronic sinusitis.

While sheaths are equally as effective as germicides when it comes to disinfection and preventing cross-contamination, sheaths offer the advantage of speeding up the turnaround time in which endoscopes are available for reuse, Medtronic said.

Enter Medtronic’s Slide-On EndoSheath System, a sterile, disposable cover for flexible endoscopes. “The EndoSheath System is designed to allow physicians to cover the insertion tube of the flexible ENT scope with a sterile microbial barrier when performing endoscopy procedures in the clinic and office environments,” said Janis Saunier, marketing director for the company’s ENT division.