Disposable Colonoscope Overcomes Clinical and Hygienic Challenges

A single-use colonoscope eliminates the costly, overly challenging, and manual-labor intensive process of reconditioning endoscopes for another use.

The invendoscope SC200 is a sterile, single-use device intended to provide direct visualization during diagnostic and therapeutic access to the adult lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract during endoscopy and endoscopic surgery. An ergonomic design and a unique tip with a tight, 35 mm bending radius allows retroflection in various colon segments to check for polyps behind colonic folds. Standard functions such as rinsing, flushing, suction and insufflation are available, and a separate water jet port may be used for water immersion or water exchange methods.

The camera uses a state-of-the-art CMOS imaging chip and three white-light light emitting diodes (LEDs) as a light source. The deflecting tip and other functions are controlled via the robotically assisted ScopeController, which allows for 180° bending in all directions. A proprietary diagnostic mode provides for convenient tip circulation at the push of just one button, enhances the effective field-of-view. The SC200 is part of the invendoscopy E200 System, a product of Invendo Medical (Kissing, Germany), and has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Our one-of-a-kind technology provides a platform specifically tailored to address the need for device sterility during endoscopies, the importance of which has been underscored by various recent ‘superbug’ outbreaks in multiple U.S. hospitals,” said Timo Hercegfi, CEO of invendo medical. “The FDA clearance of the invendoscopy E200 System continues its pathway of validation, enabling our company to now provide endoscopists in the U.S. with a revolutionary technology that will allow them to perform colonoscopies with a system that significantly improves medical staff and patient safety while enhancing physician comfort during procedures.”

Colonoscopy is the endoscopic examination of the colon and the distal part of the small bowel with a video camera or a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus. It may provide a visual diagnosis (e.g. ulceration, polyps) and grants the opportunity for biopsy or removal of suspected lesions. Virtual colonoscopy, which uses imagery reconstructed from computed tomography (CT) scans or from nuclear magnetic resonance (MR) scans, is also possible, as a totally non-invasive medical test, although it is not standard and still under investigation regarding its diagnostic abilities.

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