Effect of a disposable endoscope precleaning kit in the cleaning procedure of gastrointestinal endoscope: A multi-center observational study.

BACKGROUND: Precleaning is a key step in endoscopic reprocessing. AIM: To develop an effective and economic endoscope cleaning method by using a disposable endoscope bedside precleaning kit. METHODS: Altogether, 228 used gastrointestinal endoscopes were selected from five high-volume endoscopy units and precleaned by a traditional precleaning bucket (group T) or a disposable endoscope bedside precleaning kit (group D). Each group was further subdivided based on the replacement frequency of the cleaning solution, which was replaced every time in subgroups T1 and D1 and every several times in subgroups Ts and Ds. The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level and residual proteins were measured three times: Before and after precleaning and after manual cleaning. RESULTS: After precleaning, the precleaning kit significantly reduced the ATP levels (P = 0.034) and has a more stable ATP clearance rate than the traditional precleaning bucket. The precleaning kit also saved a quarter of the cost of enzymatic detergent used during the precleaning process. After manual cleaning, the ATP levels were also significantly lower in the precleaning kit group than in the traditional precleaning bucket group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the number of uses of the cleaning solution (up to four times) has no significant impact on the cleaning effect (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Considering its economic cost and cleaning effect, the use of a disposable endoscope bedside precleaning kit can be an optimal option in the precleaning stage with the cleaning solution being replaced several times in the manual cleaning stage.

[Research on common laws during membrane enrichment of six herbal volatile oils--physicochemical property and fingerprint similarity].

Membrane enrichment process of Chinese medicine volatile oil is green, practical and has a good application prospects. Schizonepetae Herba et al. six chinese medicine oily water were filtrated with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane with MWCO 70 000, at 40 degrees C, 0.1 MPa and 150 r x min(-1), common laws of physicochemical property of six oily water and fingerprint similarity between original and preserved oil were studied during membrane enrichment. Results were as follows: pH was gradually reduced to the minimum; conductivity firstly became larger, then smaller until 0; viscosity gradually increased to a maximum; surface tension gradually decreased to a minimum; turbidity firstly gradually increased, then reduced to a minimum; density gradually decreased to a minimum, but the change trend was opposite for Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma with heavy oil; salinity was 0. In the end, pH reached a maximum and density reached a maximum (contrary for Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma) and the other physicochemical property values reached a minimum for the last permeate. Fingerprint similarity between original and enriched volatile oil was above 90%. The above results provided data support and theoretical basis for the industrialization of membrane enrichment volatile oil technology.

[Study on effect of oil-bearing solution environment of Caryophylli Flos and other traditional Chinese medicines on system flux and oil recovery rate].

The membrane enrichment process of traditional Chinese medicine volatile oil is environmental friendly and practical, with a good application prospect. In this article, oil-bearing solutions of eight traditional Chinese medicines, namely Caryophylli Flos, Schizonepetae Herba, Eupatorii Herb, Acori Talarinowii Rhizoma, Magnoliae Flos, Chrysanthemum indicum, Cyperi Rhizoma and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride, were taken as the experimental system. Under unified conditions (membrane: PVDF-14W, temperature: 40 degreeC, pressure: 0. 1 MPa, membrane surface speed: 150 r min- 1), trans-membrane was conducted for above eight oil-bearing solutions to explore the effect of their oil-bearing solution environment on system flux and oil recovery rate. The results showed that systems with smaller pH had a lower flux, without significant effect on oil recovery rate. Greater differences between the surface tension of solutions and that of pure water contributed to a lower oil recovery rate. The conductivity had no notable effect on membrane enrichment process. Systems with high turbidity had a lower flux, without remarkable effect on oil recovery rat. Heavy oils showed lower flux than light ones, but with a slightly higher oil recovery rat. Systems with higher viscosity had a lower flux than those with lower viscosity. Except for Magnoliae Flos volatile oil, all of the remaining volatile oils showed a much higher oil recovery rat than systems with high viscosity. The above results could provide data support and theoretical basis for the industrialization of membrane enrichment volatile oil technology.