PlasmaTYPHOON Endoscope Drying and Storage Device: Interview with Dr. Daniel Vinteler, CEO and Founder of PlasmaBiotics

PENTAX Medical, a global medical technology developer originally founded in Japan, provides the PlasmaTYPHOON Endoscope Drying and Storage Device through its controlling interest in PlasmaBiotics, a company based in France. The system aims to significantly reduce the risk of bacterial contamination of endoscopy equipment through a drying procedure and active storage in a biocidal environment.

Making sure that an endoscope is completely dry after sterilization will minimize the risk of bacterial growth during storage. The PlasmaTYPHOON device can dry an endoscope within five minutes (the drying time depends on the endoscope type), and the company guarantees that it can then be safely stored in a PlasmaBAG in a biocidal and protective ozone atmosphere for up to 31 days.

The procedure involves three steps. First, a barcode to identify the user and the barcode on the endoscope are read using a barcode scanner. This allows automatic initiation of the correct drying program on the PlasmaTYPHOON machine, along with printing of a label for traceability purposes.Next, the endoscope is connected to the device through a series of tubes and the drying cycle starts at the touch of a button. Finally, the endoscope is disconnected and sealed in a PlasmaBAG, followed by a six second injection of a biocidal ozone atmosphere into the bag.

The company claims that the system is superior to current solutions in terms of efficiency and safety.

Conn Hastings, Medgadget: Are infections or disease transfer following endoscopy commonly associated with the procedure?

Daniel Vinteler: Several cases of cross contamination after an endoscopic procedure have been reported in the literature. Research from the Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam shows that in 22% of cases there is still bacteria from the previous patient on the device*. The tubes of the endoscopes are made of plastic and therefore cannot be heated, making sterilization impossible. The tubes can only be disinfected. Afterwards, they are commonly dried and stored in a drying cabinet. The PlasmaTYPHOON offers a new way to dry and store the scope with plasma, thereby reducing the risk of contamination.

*Rauwers AW, et al. Gut 2018;0:1–9. doi:10.1136

Medgadget: Please give us an overview of hygiene issues inherent to endoscope handling and storage.

Daniel Vinteler: Every step of endoscope reprocessing is crucial to ensure a hygienic procedure: the pre-cleaning, the washing-disinfection, the drying and the storage. If one of these steps is not performed correctly, hygiene is not guaranteed. In practice, the drying of the endoscope is often underestimated and therefore a possible pitfall for hygiene and reprocessing steps. If the scope is not dried properly, all the steps before are undercut.

Medgadget: Why is it so crucial to dry an endoscope if the device has already been disinfected?

Daniel Vinteler: The endoscope is a heat sensitive instrument, as the tubes inside are made of plastic, so sterilization is not possible. After a disinfection procedure, residual pathogens are still present. If the scope is humid inside, the pathogens will grow exponentially in this damp environment. A perfectly dried endoscope stops bacterial proliferation and can even eliminate some pathogens (such as P. aeruginosa).

Medgadget: How does the PlasmaTYPHOON device completely dry an endoscope?

Daniel Vinteler: The drying process with the PlasmaTYPHOON is managed by a patented curve of pressure. The unit uses a laminar flow to eliminate the water and a turbulent heated flow to dry the walls.

Medgadget: Please give us an overview of the PlasmaBAG, and the ways in which it prevents bacterial contamination during storage.

Daniel Vinteler: The single use recipient PlasmaBAG allows staff to store the scope in a closed environment. Storage in the PlasmaBAG, with an atmosphere of Ozone and medical air, improves the hygiene and microbiological safety of the scope. Since the PlasmaBAG is completely sealed, preventing one from touching it before usage, it is less vulnerable to contamination and manual mistakes.

Medgadget: How does the system improve on existing solutions? What advantages can staff expect while using the PlasmaTYPHOON?

Daniel Vinteler: The PlasmaTYPHOON is the first solution to guarantee a dry endoscope in up to 5 minutes (the drying time depends on the endoscope type), and storage up to 31 days in a fully controlled environment. The advantages for staff are numerous and include saving time and space, cost reductions, mobility of the scopes while they are stored in the PlasmaBAG, and of course a higher level of hygiene.