Annexes 3c – Understanding Challenges Of Flexible Endoscope Internal Channel Cleaning

Flexible endoscopes are associated with more instrument mediated infections than any other reusable medical device. This is reflective of an inability of current reprocessing methods (both high-level disinfection and sterilization) to establish an aseptic state within these complex medical devices. The underpinning cause is biofilm, which is a persistent microbial reservoir within these medical devices, that culminates in serial patient colonization, and subsequent infections.

Daniel Lightfoot, PhD, is the Medical Director of the Americas for Nanosonics. He received his doctorate in Developmental Cellular and Molecular Biology from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, researching aberrant genetic contributions and their effect on stem cell and early embryonic initiation and development. He continued his research at The Scripps Research Institute, but focusing on fetal organ development, specifically fetal brain formation and cephalic cellular differentiation. After leaving academic research, Daniel has held a lab director position in a hospital, science director roles for various disease state organizations that include mammalian cloning, autism, rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases and as a medical director within the pharmaceutical industry