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Infection prevention at the heart of design

Harald Huber discusses the importance of working with clinicians on product development to maximise infection prevention in endoscopy.

Infection prevention is crucial for guaranteeing patient safety in endoscopy. Infections can stem from several sources like staff clothing, floor and surface cleaning, but also from the equipment used during a procedure. Even high-quality endoscopic equipment can become a source of infection if it is handled inexpertly. It is important to address this problem right from the start, during the products’ design and development phase. 

The “poka-yoke” philosophy in product development

The “poka-yoke” principle originates from Japan and can be translated as “avoiding an unthinkably bad move”. It is typically applied in product development to eliminate potential sources of error through the design itself. A good example would be the design of a plug on an endoscope that only fits in the intended socket, to avoid connecting it to the wrong device. The overarching idea behind this philosophy is acknowledging that human error is inevitable. 

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Upcoming Events

Hygiene and sustainability in endoscopy: finding the balance

Online Event
Thursday 22nd June 2023

EBME Expo 2023

Judds Lane, Coventry, England, GB, CV6 6
28th - 29th June 2023

AfPP Annual Conference 2023

University of York
10- 13 August 2023

MEDICA - Leading International Trade Fair

Schadowstraße 49, 40212 Düsseldorf, Germany
13- 16 November 2023

Future Surgery

Excel Centre London
14 - 15 November 2023

IPS IV Forum Annual Conference 2023

BCEC Birmingham
24th November 2023

Access the latest issue of Clinical Services Journal on your mobile device together with an archive of back issues.

Download the FREE Clinical Services Journal app from your device's App store

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