Disinfection of fiberscopes by thermochemical disinfection.

A new fully automated washing and disinfection machine for fiberscopes was evaluated. This apparatus, the Endoscopic Thermo Disinfector (ETD) uses a combination of heat and a brand name disinfectant containing glutaraldehyde to fulfill its purposes. The disinfectant showed effective antibacterial activity at the concentrations used in the ETD. After artificial contamination of fiberscopes with high concentrations of various bacteria the washing and disinfection process was completely effective. Contaminated debris was also effectively removed from fiberscopes and from the inside of the washing machine during this process. A number of improvements in the design of the washing machine were implemented during the test period and suggestions for further improvements will be considered. Taking into consideration the reported effects of the disinfectant used against viral pathogens, the ETD washing machine effectively cleans and disinfects flexible watertight endoscopes.