STERIS Corp. Launches the Next Step in Safety for Endoscope Reprocessing

MENTOR, Ohio -- STERIS Corp. announces the launch of the Reliance Endoscope Processing System into the US healthcare market. This technology, designed for GI departments, is the first high-level disinfection system engineered to deliver consistent and repeatable results.

The Reliance Endoscope Processing System complements our flagship SYSTEM 1® Sterile Processing System with a new technology for high-level disinfection of endoscopic devices, says Charles Immel, senior vice president and group president of STERISs Healthcare Group. The research and science behind the Reliance EPS system validates its ability to kill infectious organisms, such as MRSA and other resistant strains, with a high-level disinfection process that is consistent and safe for patients, healthcare personnel and expensive GI devices.

Launched in Canada, Europe, and Australia in 2004, the Reliance Endoscope Processing System is already in use in clinical settings around the world. Concordia Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba has been using the Reliance EPS system since 2004. Our Reliance EPS system is very user-friendly and requires few connections, says Sharon Donaldson, a clinical resource nurse for ConcordiaHospital. Because it processes two scopes per cycle, we are able to perform 20-25 procedures a day, including gastroscopies, colonoscopies and bronchoscopies, in our procedure room, which adds up to 3,534 procedures performed in one room in a one-year period. The Reliance EPS system even cleans itself when I activate the automated decontamination cycle. The most important point, though, is that the systems consistent performance makes me feel comfortable that our scopes are properly high-level disinfected.

The Reliance EPS system is designed to achieve a new standard of patient safety for high-level disinfection. The systems validated, consistent process assures repeatable outcomes, and its proprietary Reliance DG Dry Germicide Chemistry kills even the most challenging organisms. In addition, the Reliance EPS system provides pre-programmed decontamination cycles to prevent the formation of biofilm inside the processor that can harbor microorganisms and recontaminate the scopes.

Other high-level disinfection systems on the market today use aldehyde-based liquid disinfectants that can require measuring, mixing and pouring, and have been associated with increased health risks for certain patients and healthcare personnel (Best Practices for the Safe use of Glutaraldehyde in Health Care, OSHA 3258-04N, 2006). In contrast, healthcare workers who operate the Reliance EPS processor greatly reduce their risk of chemical exposure by using a dry, single-use, self-contained chemistry that is placed directly into the system and generates the germicide in a closed, automated process.

The staff can also augment their required manual pre-cleaning of the scopes by activating the processors optional automated washing cycle, which removes any patient soils remaining after the pre-cleaning process and adds to process consistency.

The buffers, anticorrosives and chelators incorporated into the Reliance DG germicide protect endoscope surfaces from damage. In addition, STERISs device testing program has verified the compatibility of the Reliance EPS process with a majority of popular flexible endoscopes. The process produces no harmful residuals and does not require additional room ventilation or dilution for disposal, which also makes it safe for the environment.

The Reliance Endoscope Processing System enhances the efficiency of the GI suite. The processor with its patented oxidative chemistry achieves consistent high-level disinfection of up to two flexible endoscopes within a four-minute generation and six-minute exposure time at 50 degrees C, and completes a disinfection cycle in less than 30 minutes. In addition, since two scopes can be processed simultaneously using a single container of Reliance DG germicide, the use of chemistry and water are optimized.

The Reliance EPS system is simple to load and operate. A variety of scopes insert easily into the systems blue boot, which was designed to virtually eliminate the need for connectors. The Reliance DG container is easy to place in the processor, and once the door is closed the systems control panel guides the operator through each step of the process. Operators can also easily print out documentation for every phase of the cycle.

The Reliance Endoscope Processing System is a safe, effective and affordable alternative for high-level disinfection, says Rem Siekmann, product manager. This unique, automated technology helps eliminate variations in scope washing procedures, inconsistent chemical efficacy conditions, and the potential for biofilm development from high-level disinfection processes. The Reliance EPS technology has been well-received in international markets and we are pleased to be launching it in the U.S. market as well.

Source: STERIS Corporation