Even if the water quality is perfect, it is advisable to take protective measures to prevent infection.
Both the Commission on Hospital Hygiene and Infection Protection and the manufacturers of endoscopes stipulate microbiologically safe rinsing water.
The i3 ONE disposable water filter is installed directly on the tap for filling for manual pre-rinsing in the water basin. The compact Point-of-Use water filter is used to prevent infections caused by waterborne pathogens and thus supports the water quality requirements of the Robert Koch Institute with regard to endoscope reprocessing.
When it comes to manual or semi-automatic intermediate rinsing, the i3 FOUR inline filter offers reliable protection against contamination by, for example, Legionella pneumophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa or non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). It is installed upstream of the cleaning gun for water filtration of tap water.
In the case of automated reprocessing in the washer-disinfector, the final rinse must be carried out using demineralized water in order to prevent the entry of particles from the mains supply.
Reverse osmosis systems and ion exchangers are usually found in central water treatment systems and supply the washer-disinfectors with demineralized water. Although this process removes all of the microorganisms from the water, the demineralized water that arrives at the washer-disinfector is often not germ-free.
This is due to improper maintenance and servicing of the systems. The demineralized water used for the final rinse should therefore also be installed with the i3 FIVE inline filter as this acts as a reliable barrier against all waterborne germs during the intermediate and final rinses.
The use of water filters in the various process steps of reprocessing medical endoscopes can be essential when it comes to achieving a safe reprocessing result along with optimum protection against contamination.