Prevention and maintenance of several special malfunctions of endoscopes

Various malfunctions can occur during the use of endoscopes. Common malfunctions generally include damage to the image bundle, CCD, or light beam; water leakage in the forceps channel; blockage of the water and air spray nozzle; and water leakage in the bending rubber. Most of these malfunctions can be identified through visual inspection and testing tools. Below, we introduce several special issues.

1. Some Olympus colonoscope models sometimes exhibit a lack of water or insufficient water flow after repair and during their first use.

Moreover, the field of view becomes blurry in a very short time, and water may even be visible. The bending rubber may appear swollen. In this case, a leak detector cannot identify the problem area. Opening the endoscope reveals that the interior is filled with water. If not addressed promptly, the image bundle inside the microscope often cracks, and the solenoid copper wire rusts. In severe cases, this leads to scrap.

(1) Cause of Malfunction:

Some Olympus colonoscopes have an auxiliary water supply port below the operating handle. During repair and installation, this port may become deformed, or a small hard object may cause cracks during assembly. Water then flows into the endoscope body. Therefore, there will be insufficient water or no water during air and water delivery, and water pressure causes the rubber to swell when water reaches a certain level.

(2) Prevention Methods:

After repair, both repair personnel and users should conduct leak tests, especially for colonoscopes. If bubbles are observed from the water and air spray nozzle during the leak test, while the pipe itself is intact, the auxiliary water supply port connection should be considered as the primary issue. It should be re-checked and reinstalled; otherwise, the leak detector cannot detect it after water enters the endoscope body.

2. A small number of domestically produced endoscopes experience automatic air delivery during use, resulting in excessive internal pressure and causing considerable discomfort to the patient.

(1) Cause of Malfunction:

The rubber ring on the air and water delivery buttons is worn, or the air and water delivery body inside the operating handle is damaged.

(2) Troubleshooting:

Replace the button's rubber ring. If ineffective, the rigid body inside the operating handle needs to be replaced. Regularly apply silicone oil to the rubber ring to increase flexibility.

3. The bending rubber becomes loose, loses elasticity, and even shows rainbows, water droplets, or mildew spots in the field of view.

(1) Cause of Malfunction:

The bending rubber has adhered to oily substances, such as liquid paraffin, petroleum jelly, and olive oil, causing

a reaction. It becomes loose, may even be damaged by alkali, and fluid enters the image bundle, causing rainbows and other phenomena.

(2) Prevention Methods:

A good lubricant should be chosen. Some hospitals use a self-made fiber lubricant. Clinical use has shown

good results. The prescription is as follows: boric acid 12.5g, liquefied phenol 5ml, lidocaine 3.5g, Radix Astragali 8.8g, glycerol 175ml, water 98ml. Mix them into a paste.

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