Nelson Laboratories and Healthmark Partner to Offer Surveillance Tool for Testing of Duodenoscopes

Nelson Laboratories and Healthmark Industries announce the introduction of an Endoscope Sampling Kit for the random testing of duodenoscopes in compliance with CDC guidelines.

Endoscope manufacturers, regulatory bodies and healthcare facilities are increasingly concerned about the spread of communicable diseases, including clinically relevant microorganisms, on reprocessed medical devices. Healthmark Industries and Nelson Laboratories have joined forces to create an endoscope sampling kit for the purpose of monitoring and reporting objective results from clinical scopes.

Everything necessary to collect and send a sample from a reprocessed endoscope for testing to determine the presence or absence of objectionable microorganisms will be provided in the kit offered by Healthmark. The sample will be sent by the healthcare facility to Nelson Labs for independent testing of the sample for the presence of any microorganisms. If present, the organisms will be identified and quantified.

The Endoscope Sampling Kit is intended to be used as a proficiency assessment for healthcare practices and not as a safety assessment for the reprocessed scope (not a “fitness for use” test). This surveillance assessment is important to help the clinical user determine if their scope is safe for use, requires additional reprocessing, requires additional testing or should be quarantined. The kit and related tests are intended as another help to assess the adequacy of healthcare facility scope reprocessing.

The Kit will be featured at the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates Convention beginning this Sunday, May 22, in Seattle. Visit booth #125 for a demonstration and to learn more.

Source: Nelson Laboratories and Healthmark Industries