Decontaminating the entirety of TOE probes, including the handles and power cable, has now been proven to be possible with the Antigermix range, distributed exclusively in the UK by PFE MEDICAL.
Since BSE guidelines in 2011 and the MHRA Alert in June 2012, hospitals have been reviewing and searching for solutions to the decontamination problems for these probes. The guidelines state that automated disinfection methods have the highest quality assurance for TOE probe decontamination as they ensure standardisation and remove the effects of human error.
This new automated decontamination system is a chemical and liquid free process, using UV-C light to disrupt the protein chains of target germs and bacteria. One of the main benefits to hospitals is that the entire decontamination takes a maximum of 200 seconds, which means that it is possible to keep up with the demand from patient lists, even those going to central decontamination, without the need to purchase additional probes.
The use of UV-C light for the decontamination process means that the probe does not have to be immersed in any liquid or chemical, so does not require a chemical leak test to be performed as part of the decontamination process. It also offers ongoing cost savings, as there is no requirement to purchase chemical consumables. It also reduces any health and safety risks associated with the use of chemicals in decontamination.
In addition, the Antigermix range is able to decontaminate the entire probe – including the handles and power cable. This gives the assurance that the entire probe is disinfected to the same level.
The Antigermix range has been fully tested and approved prior to its launching in the UK. In addition to the testing carried out by the manufacturer GERMANDE in France, tests were also carried out by the Hospital Infection Research Laboratory in Birmingham which reported the reduction in microbial counts in the presence of low soiling and part shadowing also met the guidelines.
