Bending Rubber
Medical
Bending rubber, flexibility,endoscopes
A bending rubber is the main element that is responsible for the flexibility of endoscopes. The bending rubber is a specified soft and flexible element that is designed to cover the end of the endoscope. When it comes in contact with a sharp object or edges, it can be torn or punctured. This damage in a bending rubber can be identified during the leak test due to the presence of bubbles. There can be several causes of damage to the bending rubber, some of them are listed below:
The improper handling of the element such as sharp objects near distal tips, careless transporting of endoscope or damage may be due to the patient bites.
Stretched and ageing of bending rubber.
Lack of adequate storage area.
Messy or fraying bending section.
To avoid these types of situation, the bending rubber should be carried carefully and some preventive measures listed below are taken to avoid these types of damage:
Post leak test, all the pressures inside bending rubber should be released to make the bending rubber durable and less susceptible to stretches. This will also help the bending rubber to become less puncture resistant.
The contact pins and ports have sharp edges which can cause a hole in the bending rubber, so it is advisable to keep the bending section and the light guide connector away from one another.
Try to avoid contact with bending rubber with sharp surfaces or instruments.
Try to avoid the piling of endoscopes during cleaning or transportation.
Damage in the bending rubber can lead to the invasion of fluids and can create an environment for pathogens. Henceforth, the bending rubber in an endoscope is the main element in the endoscope that provides flexibility for better work.