Mobile Aspects obtains patent approval on channel-drying with RFID

Channel-drying technology, iRIScope, offers improved compliance with new AAMI standards

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile Aspects, a Pittsburgh-based health care logistics platform provider, has recently obtained a new patent approval on its iRIScope system — an endoscope storage cabinet that utilizes both RFID technology and automated channel-drying. With this latest patent (the second for iRIScope), Mobile Aspects is now the only company that can offer channel-drying with the use of RFID technology.  

iRIScope provides a simple and safe way to dry the outer surfaces and interior channels of endoscopes, while offering the advanced features of an automated endoscope tracking system. iRIScope, which includes robust software to measure information on scope usage and lifecycle management, is the world's only endoscope cabinet with RFID technology, air drying and channel-drying in one unit.

This news comes shortly after the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation® (AAMI) issued guidance (ST91:2021) recommending all scope lumens (channel) be dried for at least 10 minutes with pressure-regulated forced instrument air (or, at minimum, HEPA-filtered air).

Thorough drying has been shown to reduce the risk of microbial contamination following high-level disinfection from the recontamination of the endoscope by waterborne microorganisms during rinsing. The presence of these microorganisms in conjunction with retained moisture can lead to the development of biofilm and increase patient infection risks.

"Innovation, safety and throughput are the wheels that drive our industry forward," said Dr. Adam Slivka, associate chief of clinical affairs for the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "Identifying the right tools that help us meet the societal guidelines for infection prevention ensures a better standard of patient care and gives us the ability to improve hospital productivity."

Nearly all infection control and endoscopy societies agree that channel-drying is an essential step when safely reprocessing endoscopes. In fact, incomplete scope channel-drying is perennially listed on the ECRI list of top patient safety concerns, and recent research links poor drying cycles to multiple outbreaks of waterborne organisms.

In meeting the new recommendation, iRIScope cabinets allow scopes to hang vertically with forced air running through the channels, providing efficient and effective drying and reducing the number of human touches by up to 75%.

"We are the only product on the market that can meet this 10-minute drying time safely and simultaneously reduce touches," said Suneil Mandava, CEO and founder of Mobile Aspects. "Many current options available in the market take as long as 60 minutes to perform the same task."

For more information about Mobile Aspects iRIScope solution, please visit, https://www.mobileaspects.com/solutions/iriscope/.

Mobile Aspects pioneers new methods for modernizing and optimizing the care delivery process in health systems. A Pittsburgh-based private entity backed by patented technologies, Mobile Aspects eliminates manual and fallible practices to make hospitals safer and less at risk for sentinel events. For more information, visit www.mobileaspects.com.

SOURCE Mobile Aspects