CENTER VALLEY, Pa., Oct. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Olympus, a global technology leader in designing and delivering innovative solutions for medical and surgical procedures, announced today the market availability of the OER-Elite, its next-generation automated endoscope reprocessor (AER). Cleaning and reprocessing of endoscopes between cases is vital to patient safety, and postmarket research on reprocessing endoscopes shows that automation improves the effectiveness of this process.
The OER-Elite simultaneously cleans and disinfects up to two endoscopes in 28 minutes. High-level disinfection is accomplished using Acecide-C®, a peracetic acid-based disinfectant. The system also offers a cleaning cycle, using a combination of EndoQuick alkaline detergent and ultrasonic cleaning. Research shows that this combination is the most effective way to remove foreign matter from the endoscope surface.
"Infection prevention is critical to patient safety. With the OER-Elite, healthcare providers have an efficient and effective means to consistently clean and disinfect their endoscopes and help ensure those scopes are available for physicians when needed," says Kevin Mancini, Group Vice President for Endoscopy, Olympus America Inc. "Olympus continues to innovate its products to not only meet the needs of our current healthcare environment but also increase automation, improve quality of care, and enhance patient satisfaction."
The OER-Elite is compatible with Olympus endoscopes, including the new TJF-Q190V duodenoscope, through its distal connector for endoscopes with forceps elevators. Other new design features of the OER-Elite resulted from human factors studies. These include:
Connecting endoscopes to the AER is simplified with color-coding, automatic monitoring, and guided by step-by-step illustrated instructions displayed on a smart user interface.
Loading scopes into the AER is made easier with a bigger basin that is wider and deeper than its predecessor AER (OER-Pro).
Managing scope leaks is made less complicated with a dedicated decontamination cycle that limits fluid invasion, designed to reduce service costs and eliminate the need for manual soaking.
Navigation and detailed troubleshooting instructions based on human factors principles are visible on an LCD touch screen to guide the user through use and recovery.
Checking disinfectant levels is simpler with convenient access to the minimum recommended concentration port at the top of the machine.
