An endoscope is a medical device that’s used to give doctors and surgeons a clear view of the inside of the human body. It’s a long, flexible tube with a camera and light attached at one end, and it can be inserted into the body through various organs, such as the mouth or anus, to get a look at whatever area needs checking out.
It’s pretty strong stuff—it’ll see through folds in the intestines or stomach, and even make its way through joints like knees or elbows. When it comes time for an endoscope to be properly cleaned and disinfected for storage, it’s important that all of its parts are thoroughly washed so that there’s no risk of infection or contamination.
Wear gloves while handling endoscope parts. This will help prevent the spread of bacteria and other contaminants from one part to another.
Use tools that come with your favorite cleaning solution when you want to give an endoscope part a thorough cleaning. It’s important that you have these tools on hand before something breaks and you have to start cleaning your endoscope in the middle of something potentially dangerous.
If you’re going to use a brush, make sure it’s not made of metal. Metal brushes can scratch up glass surfaces and damage delicate optical gadgets in the endoscope parts. There are special brushes made of soft, non-scratching materials, or you can just use a cloth instead of a brush.
Cleaning solutions, brushes, or clothes all need washing after using them on endoscope parts. If you don’t have time for hand-washing, throw them in a bucket full of warm water with some bleach in it for about 30 minutes—but make sure you wash your hands really well afterward!