A process to clean medical devices, such as endoscopes, with a turbulent cleaning solution is described. The process includes providing cleaning solution in a first delivery system and providing a gas in a second delivery system, wherein the first and second delivery system are connected to a third delivery system that allows the cleaning solution and gas to combine to provide a turbulent cleaning solution that can be passed through a lumen of a medical device. The process is generally accomplished by use of a peristaltic pump with two heads; one head for each of the delivery system. The resultant turbulent cleaning solution provides enough force to dislodge most body fluids, debris, bacteria and/or virus(es) from the surface of the medical device without the requirement for physical scrubbing or brushing of the surface.

An endoscope reprocessor having a tube and nozzles may be used to increase the effectiveness of an endoscope reprocessor. Fluid may be delivered into the tube through the nozzle, which may be oriented in various orientations. Energy of the flow within the tube may be increased by introduction of fluid through the nozzles, which may additionally move the endoscope within the tube.

The present disclosure relates to a cleaning device system for a surgical tool. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a novel and advantageous cleaning device system for a laparoscope. The cleaning device system includes a cleaning device, a module, and a control pad. The cleaning device includes a shaft and a nozzle for directing irrigation fluid and drying fluid towards an end of the surgical tool. The module may be a self-contained unit holding saline for cleaning, CO2 for drying, and a battery for powering the system. The cleaning device may be a retrofit device for an existing laparoscope or may be incorporated into a new laparoscope.

A surgical access device includes a housing, a tubular member extending from the housing, a valve disposed on the housing, and a tip member at a distal end of the tubular member. The housing includes a seal and the tubular member includes a plurality of lumens extending therethrough. The valve is fluidly coupled with a first lumen of the plurality of lumens and the tip member includes a first port that is aligned and fluidly coupled with the first lumen of the plurality of lumens. The first port is configured to direct a fluid towards a predetermined location.

Disclosed herein are technological solutions that are configured to limit sub-optimal visualization of the surgical field during robotic and manual laparoscopic surgery. Such technological solutions are configured to systematically assess cleanliness of an imaging element of a laparoscope (or other type of similar imaging apparatus) and take action for enabling or causing the imaging element to be cleaned. In preferred embodiments, assessment of the cleanliness of the imaging element provides information that can be used for enabling or causing cleaning of the imaging element to be performed in-vivo in either a manual, semi-autonomous or autonomous manner. In this manner such technological solutions advantageously enable the surgical field during surgery to be more efficiently and consistently maintained in an optimal condition.

Cannula and scope cleaning apparatus and associated methods of use are provided which allow for the clearing/cleaning of a cannula and cleaning of a viewing scope during a medical procedure, wherein the apparatus can be configured such that the viewing scope need not be removed from within the cannula in order for debris and/or fogging to be removed from a lens portion of the scope. In particular embodiments, the cannula and scope cleaning apparatus can be deformable, having an adjustable lumen therein such that when the apparatus can be disposed within a cannula, viewing scopes having various outside diameter sizes can be slidably introduced and stabilized within a cannula.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to providing an effective and reliable approach for cleaning an exposed surface of an imaging element (e.g., a lens) of apparatuses including but not limited to medical imaging instruments such as endoscopes and laparoscopes and the like. In the case of medical imaging instruments, cleaning apparatuses configured in accordance with embodiments the present invention can be cleaned while the distal end portion of the endoscope is in vivo. Such apparatuses have a cleaning member incorporated therein (e.g., a resilient polymeric wiper, a sponge, an absorbent pad or the like) that is used for cleaning the exposed surface of the imaging element. The apparatus is preferably adapted for being mounted on imaging apparatus but can also be entirely or partially integral with one or more components of the imaging apparatus or system of which it is a component.

A device for inhibiting condensation distortion on an optical element of a medical instrument configured for insertion into a body cavity is provided. The device may include a housing; a cavity within the housing, the cavity being sized to removably retain at least a portion of the medical instrument therein, wherein the portion includes the optical element; a plasma activation zone within the cavity and arranged such that when the at least a portion of the medical instrument is retained within the cavity, the optical element is located within the plasma activation zone; a plasma generator configured to be activated to cause formation of a plasma cloud in the plasma activation zone in a vicinity of the optical element; and a controller configured to activate the plasma generator for a time period sufficient to cause the optical element to become hydrophilic prior to insertion into the body cavity.

Embodiments of the disclosures made herein are directed to facilitating adjustability of operative apparatuses. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosures made herein are directed to mitigating adverse implications of having to adjust a control portion of an operative apparatus to a user-defined setting that is not otherwise a predefined setting position of the control portion. Such adverse implications may arise, for example, due to the time required for performing such adjustment with a required degree of precision. Thereby, such embodiments serve to mitigate, if not eliminate, that manner in which adjusting the control portion of the operative apparatus to the user-defined setting during a procedure can undesirably and/or unacceptably limit efficiency and/or effectiveness of the procedure.

A surgical instrument including an elongated tubular body portion and an irrigation assembly. The elongated tubular body portion extending distally to an end effector and defining an interior cavity. The irrigation assembly includes an inlet port and a shaft assembly supported by the elongated tubular body portion. The inlet port and the shaft assembly are disposed in fluid communication with one another to deliver fluid from the inlet port into the interior cavity of the elongated tubular body portion to irrigate the interior cavity with positive fluid pressure.