How to Clean an Olympus Endoscope
An endoscope is a medical tool most often used to examine organs or remove foreign objects from a body. It may also be used to take cell samples for a biopsy. Endoscopes consist of a long tube, which may be rigid or flexible, on the end of which is a light and a camera. It is essential to clean and sterilize an endoscope after every use to prevent the transfer of disease from one patient to another.
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Things You'll Need
- Endoscope detergent cleaner
- Endoscope
- Leakage tester
- Suction cleaning adapter
- Syringe
- Channel cleaning brush
- Rubbing alcohol
- Cotton cloth
- Latex gloves
Instructions
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Pre-Clean
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1
Put on gloves. Safety glasses and long-sleeved shirts are also recommended for protection.
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2
Dilute an endoscope detergent cleaner, such as Endozime, following the manufacturer's directions (see link in Resources).
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3
Apply the solution to a cloth and wipe the outside surfaces of the insertion tube (see link in References). Flush the tube by inserting it into detergent solution and pressing the aspiration button on the top of the insertion tube.
Test for Leaks
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4
Screw the end of the leakage tester tube to the venting connector of the endoscope.
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5
Plug the other end of the leakage tester tube to the maintenance unit, plug the maintenance unit in and turn the unit on by flipping the green toggle switch.
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6
Place the entire endoscope in a sink filled with water and watch for approximately 30 seconds. If you see any bubbles coming from the endoscope then you should not use the endoscope and contact Olympus (see link in Resources). Take the endoscope out of water.
Clean the Endoscope
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7
Fill a sink or tub with endoscope detergent cleaner diluted as the manufacturer suggest. Use a clean cloth to wipe down the outside surfaces. Use the channel cleaning brush to clean out the suction cylinder and instrument channel port.
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8
Insert the suction cleaning adapter into the suction cylinder and the instrument channel port. Turn on the suction cleaning adapter for 30 seconds. Put a syringe on the suction opening of the adapter and pull the plunger until the syringe is full.
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9
Remove the suction cleaning adapter and the syringe and place them with the endoscope in the diluted detergent. Wipe down all surfaces with a clean cloth and soak for the time recommended by the detergent manufacturer.
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10
Draw a sink full of fresh water and immerse the endoscope. Put the suction cleaning adapter back on the suction cylinder and instrument channel port and turn on for 30 seconds. Remove the endoscope and use a fresh cloth to wipe down the surfaces.
Disinfect
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11
Dilute a disinfectant, such as Kartzime, to the manufacturer's specifications. Fill a sink or tub with the disinfectant solution.
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12
Attach the suction cleaning adapter to the endoscope. Attach the syringe to the suction opening of the adapter and fill the syringe by pulling back the plunger. Soak the endoscope and accessories after detaching the syringe and suction cleaning adapter. Follow the instructions given by the disinfectant manufacturer for soaking time.
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13
Put the suction cleaning adapter back on. Remove the syringe from the disinfectant solution and pull the plunger back to fill the syringe with air. Attach the syringe to the suction opening and depress the plunger.
Rinse
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14
Fill a sink or tub with fresh water. Place the endoscope in the water and wipe down all surfaces with a clean cloth.
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15
Attach the suction cleaning adapter to the endoscope and turn on for 30 seconds. Remove from the water and place the tube of the endoscope in a glass of rubbing alcohol and turn on for 5 seconds.
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16
Remove the suction cleaning adapter and wipe down all surfaces with a dry, clean cloth. Apply rubbing alcohol to a clean cloth and wipe down all surfaces again.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Professionals should be properly trained on how to clean an endoscope before performing this task in a hospital setting.
