Dr Laura Johnston1
1Nanosonics, Sydney, Australia
Biography:
Laura Johnston BVMS, MBA is the Asia Pacific region Medical Manager for Nanosonics.
Abstract:
Introduction
Delayed reprocessing occurs when flexible endoscope cleaning is not completed promptly after use (>1hr post-procedure), allowing residual soil to dry and microorganisms to persist within complex channels. Delayed endoscopes require additional soaking steps, but identifying these devices and consistently completing the required reprocessing protocol remains challenging for facilities. The CORIS® System is an automated endoscope channel cleaner designed to provide consistent internal channel cleaning. This study evaluated CORIS after extended drying periods, simulating overnight and weekend delays.
Methods
Olympus CF-HQ190L colonoscopes were soiled with Combination Test Soil containing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis, air-purged, and dwelled at room temperature for >18 hours. Colonoscopes were cleaned using CORIS. Residual protein, total organic carbon (TOC), viable bacteria recovery, and borescope visual inspection were assessed. Positive and negative device controls were included. Data collection is ongoing; >18-hour results are reported.
Results
Following >18 hours drying, positive controls demonstrated high residual soil and bacterial recovery, including protein and TOC values above ISO-15883 action thresholds and bacterial loads of approximately 6–8 log10 colony forming units/cm². In contrast, nine CORIS-cleaned replicates demonstrated, residual protein and TOC below ISO-15883 alert thresholds in all channels. Residual viable bacteria were reduced by approximately 4-6 log10 compared with positive controls.
Conclusion
Our data demonstrates CORIS effectively removes dried soil and substantially reduced bacterial contamination after simulated overnight delayed reprocessing. The full datasets will define performance under clinically relevant delayed reprocessing conditions.