Primary application of disposable portable gastroscopy in emergency upper gastrointestinal examination / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To provide a portable disposable endoscopy for preventing potential viral infection in the patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) or those who need emergency endoscopy and reducing the process of endoscopy cleaning and disinfection during the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. Methods The novel portable and disposable endoscopy system (YunSendo) was self-designed. Two patients with suspected AUGIB underwent emergency gastroscopy with YunSendo system by a senior endoscopist. Standard image acquisition and assessments of operation performance and image quality were fulfilled to evaluate the preliminary safety, feasibility, and operation performance of the novel endoscopy. Results Emergency endoscopy was completed safely in two AUGIB patients by the YunSendo system without alternating current (AC) power supply. The endoscopic manipulation and observation, including water absorption, air inflation, water spray, body rotation, and specimen biopsy, can be smoothly and effectively achieved. The video-recording, image acquisition, and electronic graphic report output were achieved integratedly in YunSendo. The upper GI tract can be clearly visualized, with eligible specimen biopsy without any obvious adverse events and compilations. Operation time was similar to an ordinary gastroscopy. The disposable endoscope was discarded after use according to the requirements of the hospital infection-control department. Conclusions The novel portable and disposable endoscopy system, YunSendo, is safe and feasible for upper gastrointestinal examination, with favorable operation performance and image quality. The preliminary experience provides evidence for its convenient use of epidemic prevention.