A brief history of flexible endoscope
The first flexible endoscope was developed in the late 19th century by a British surgeon, John H. McLean. This flexible instrument was designed to allow surgeons to insert a catheter into the abdomen and visualize the abdomen from different angles.
McLean’s invention was soon copied around the world and became a staple of surgical practice. In the early 20th century, many other surgeons also began using flexible instruments to view their patients’ organs from different angles. By the late 20th century, flexible endoscopes were widely used in hospitals throughout the world. Today, they are used in more than 100 countries and are used by more than 1 million people every year worldwide.
One of the most common uses for flexible endoscopes is to view tumors from different angles to help surgeons diagnose tumors more accurately and quickly. Other uses include diagnosing cancerous conditions such as lymphoma or sarcoma, or looking for abnormalities such as abnormalities in blood vessels or irregular heartbeats.
What is flexible endoscope? and what is it used for?
Flexible endoscopes are a new type of endoscope that can be used in a variety of ways. They are designed to be used with different kinds of instruments, including endoscopes and catheters.
One of the most common uses of flexible endoscopes is to use them to examine patients with a variety of different types of tumors. They can also be used to examine other parts of the body, such as the heart or lungs.
Flexible endoscopes can also be used in conjunction with other types of equipment, such as catheters and surgery instruments. This allows for more customized examinations that are easier to perform and less invasive than traditional endoscopes.
Flexible endoscopes are also useful for patients who have certain medical conditions, such as those with conditions like diabetes or heart disease, because they can be used in conjunction with other equipment to treat these conditions
Flexible endoscopy has been used in human and veterinary medicine for many years. Over time, instrumentation has become more sophisticated and prices have come down, leading to wider use. With a wide range of new and used endoscopes on the market, it’s easy to make the wrong choice and end up with an expensive white elephant. No single endoscope is suitable for all interventions in the small animal practice. Therefore, it is important to first understand your clinical needs and then understand enough about the design and function of the endoscope to find an instrument that meets them.
The main parts of a flexible endoscope are the scope, scope guide, and scope guide tube. The scope is where the scope guide attaches to the scope. The scope guide attaches to the scope by way of a lens that is attached to the scope. The scope guide tube connects to the scope and allows you to see inside your body.
The scope is made from plastic or metal and can be used in many different ways. It can be used as a medical tool, it can be used as an instrument for x-rays, it can be used for other purposes such as x-ray imaging, or it can even be used as an entertainment tool.
The scope guide tube connects to the scope by way of a thin piece of tubing that is attached to the end of the tube. This piece connects to the endoscope head and allows you to see inside your body from any angle you choose.
The endoscope head attaches to either side of your body through small holes in its sides. These holes allow for easy access when you need it most.
Types of Flexible Endoscopes
There are two main types of flexible endoscopes commonly used in the clinic. Gastroscopes and bronchoscopes. Gastroscopes could have four-method tip deflection (at least 180 degrees in one direction), automatic air/water insufflation, a biopsy/suction channel, and a performing length of at least 100 cm. In large breeds, a working length of 130-150 cm is essential for examining the small intestine and cecum. The diameter of the insertion tube must not exceed 10 mm, otherwise it will not be possible to pass the pylorus of smaller patients.

A diameter of less than 8 mm facilitates passage through the pylorus in small dogs and cats, but must be compensated for by the smaller biopsy channel; typically around 2 mm versus 2.8 mm for the larger endoscope. little biopsy samples could be more difficult for pathologists to interpret. Bronchoscopes should have a bidirectional tip bend of at least 100 degrees in each direction, and preferably 180 degrees in one direction to allow retroflexion onto the soft palate. You will also need suction and air/water insufflation, a biopsy/working channel, and a working length of at least 80 cm. A 2.8-5 mm OD is ideal for all adult dogs and cats, although a 7-8 mm gastroscope can serve as a bronchoscope for medium and large dogs. Flexible endoscopes can be divided into fiber scopes and video endoscopes. Fiber optic endoscopes transmit the image to the eyepiece through a bundle of coherent fibers, resulting in a pixelated image that is viewed directly through the eyepiece or via an attached camera on a monitor. A video endoscope has no eyepiece, the image is transmitted electronically from a CCD or CMOS video chip at the tip of the insertion tube directly to a video monitor.
This provides a far better image but at a higher cost as each endoscope essentially contains its own camera system.
Decide what type of endoscope you need
An endoscope must be suitable for its purpose: What is your number of cases? Do you mainly deal with cats, small dogs or large dogs? Are you seeing primarily gastrointestinal (GI) or respiratory cases? What quality, especially optics, do you need?
Do you think warranty is important, and what about service costs and loaning an instrument during repairs? Look at the individual characteristics of an instrument: does it feel good in your hands? Is it convenient to use?
One endoscope is hardly ever enough, and you’ll in the end buy another, or you could have already got a number of inflexible endoscopes. How can the brand-new endoscope be included with modern-day system and destiny growth plans? Can you operate the identical mild supply and digital digicam machine on all of your endoscopes to unfold the price? What is the full price–each preliminary and ongoing protection? How are you going to recoup this?
New or Secondhand
An crucial selection to make is whether to shop for new or secondhand. There are lots of excellent ‘veterinary specific’ endoscopes performing at the marketplace. These are greater desirable to our sufferers than many human models, having a 130-a hundred and fifty cm insertion tube as standard. In addition, shopping for new gives you with an assurance for at the least a year, and servicing and spares need to now no longer be a problem. Suppliers will generally be satisfied to offer schooling in use, care and protection freed from fee for your self and your staff. Proper care is critical in case your funding isn’t to be broken, incurring high-priced repairs Large numbers of secondhand endoscopes are to be had from the human marketplace. However–‘caveat emptor’–there are quite a number of factors to appearance out for:
- Insertion tube length. Most human paediatric endoscopes are a hundred cm, too brief for GI paintings in huge dogs.
- Insertion tube diameter 10 mm isn’t appropriate for small animal paintings.
- Size of device channel–goal for 2.eight mm with at least 2 mm. Pass a device via the channel to make sure there’s no blockage or harm to the channel.
- Check the rubber at the bendy tip for perishing or harm.
- Some older medical institution endoscopes hitting the marketplace aren’t absolutely immersible, making cleansing and good enough disinfection extraordinarily difficult.
- Fibre harm. Remember, there are mild manual fibres in a video endoscope as well. Look for good enough mild transmission through viewing the picture with the endoscope tip located in a huge darkish box. (Your hand will mirror an excessive amount of mild and display a very good picture in any case.) Check fibreoptic endoscopes for black spots at the picture with inside the eyepiece and on a monitor, depicting damaged fibres.
- Damage to manual wires. These are the wires that circulate the bendy tip of the endoscope. The tip need to circulate via the complete variety of motion expected–and at the least a hundred and eighty ranges in a single direction. The tip need to begin shifting as quickly because the wheel or lever is moved, without a delay. On gastroscopes, the top need to be instantly with the manage wheels with inside the impartial position (generally with the U & L markers uppermost).
- Is the device water tight? This is critical because the sensitive fibres and manual wires are very effortlessly broken through the slightest leak, and restore can price nearly as a great deal as a brand-new endoscope. Always connect a leak tester to the strain reimbursement port and inflate to the prescribed strain. Look for a strain drop. If you’re unsure, immerse the pressurized endoscope in water and search for escaping bubbles.
- Accessories, spare parts and service. Is the endoscope supplied with the necessary accessories, e.g. B. Leak tester, pressure equalization valve, cleaning brushes and all necessary buttons and nozzles for the working channel? Is there documentation with cleaning instructions? Where will they fix it? Are spare parts still available?
Care and Maintenance
With proper care and maintenance, your endoscope should last for years:
- Always clean your endoscope. Thoroughly clean the endoscope with an enzymatic cleaner immediately after use. Dried dirt can clog the channels and be extremely difficult to remove.
- Re-sterilize your endoscope after cleaning with gas sterilization or a recommended cold sterilizer.
- Always use a manufacturer-recommended enzymatic cleaner and cold sterilizer. Unsuitable chemicals can damage the seals.
- Always store your endoscope hanging with the insertion tube upright and the knobs removed to allow the channels to drain. The fibers retain memory when coiled and are more prone to breakage if constantly coiled and straightened.
- Never store your endoscope in its case. This not only wraps up the insertion tube, but also provides an ideal environment for bacterial growth inside the endoscope. Pseudomonas is often isolated from improperly stored endoscopes.
Where to buy new products
Major manufacturers in both the human and veterinary markets make their own endoscopes.
These are usually the most expensive, but they are high quality instruments backed by a great company that probably won’t go away, a good supply of parts and excellent service contracts that will often lend you a replacement instrument if yours breaks down. Many veterinary resellers also offer great deals on smaller company instruments. Often the quality isn’t that high, but that reflects in the price, and you still get a guarantee and great service offerings.
Second-hand equipment can be purchased directly from hospitals through auctions or even from hospitals eBay. However, buying flexible endoscopes this way is fraught with danger, and you can easily end up with expensive junk that costs more than it is worth repairing.
Several resellers offer refurbished used equipment that has at least been tested and has a short warranty. Try them and convince them that you can use them on real cases for a month or so before you buy them.
Guangzhou Smart Tech Technology saves you time and money whether you are choosing the right endoscope or endoscope parts, as it unswervingly pursues the business philosophy of integrity, implements the quality policy of “quality wins the market, integrity casts quality”, and in the wave of economic globalization and fierce market competition, it is committed to casting brand banner with high-quality products and services.