# Novel technology for automated cleaning of flexible endoscopes

## TL;DR

This editorial discusses errors in manual cleaning of flexible endoscopes and explores new technologies to improve cleaning effectiveness.

## Contribution

The paper introduces novel technologies aimed at improving the automated cleaning of flexible endoscopes.

## Key findings

- Manual cleaning of endoscopes is prone to errors leading to microbial contamination.
- New technologies offer improvements in the cleaning of endoscope channels.
- Automated solutions may reduce contamination risks in reprocessed endoscopes.

## Abstract

Reprocessing of flexible endoscopes is a multi-stage system with many sequential stages. Errors in any one of the stages can result in microbial contamination that persists in patient ready endoscopes despite full reprocessing. One stage that is especially prone to errors is the manual cleaning of channels and exterior surfaces of flexible endoscopes. This editorial discusses the current factors in manual cleaning that lead to errors in cleaning adequacy. It also reviews novel technologies that provide improvements in cleaning of flexible endoscope channels.