Department of Urology and Surgery, Kobe University, Hyogo, Japan.
Department of Urology, Hara Genitourinary Hospital, Hyogo, Japan.
Int J Urol. 2020 Apr;27(4):333-338. doi: 10.1111/iju.14197. Epub 2020 Feb 15.
To evaluate the change in the irrigation flow with various instruments in the working channel of a flexible ureteroscope by two automatic irrigation pumps and gravity-based irrigation in an ex vivo setting.
We used two automatic irrigation pumps: the Endoflow II and the UROMAT Endoscopic Automatic System for Irrigation and gravity-based irrigation. A flexible ureteroscope was connected to an irrigation tube with a working channel. The other side of the irrigation tube was attached to each automatic irrigation pump, which was connected with a 2-L saline bag or to a 2-L saline bag directly in case of gravity pressure. The flow volume from the working channel was measured three times for 30 s at various irrigation pressure settings, both when the working channel was unoccupied and occupied with various instruments.
The irrigation flow steadily increased as the irrigation pressure in the automatic irrigation pumps increased and the saline position in gravity became higher (P < 0.05). However, the flow decreased as the size of the instrument in the working channel increased (P < 0.05). The efficiency of irrigation flow in gravity-based irrigation under the same pressure is significantly lower than one of two automatic irrigation pumps (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the efficiency of the irrigation flow between the Endoflow II and UROMAT Endoscopic Automatic System for Irrigation. The irrigation pressure setting needed to change to maintain adequate irrigation flow when using various working tools.
The efficiency of irrigation flow in gravity-based irrigation is significantly lower than one of two automatic irrigation pumps. The irrigation flow decreases as the size of the instrument in the working channel increases.
评估在离体环境下，使用两种自动冲洗泵和重力冲洗方式，通过软性输尿管镜的工作通道时，各种器械对冲洗流量的影响。
我们使用了两种自动冲洗泵：Endoflow II 和 UROMAT 内镜自动冲洗系统，以及重力冲洗。将软性输尿管镜连接到带有工作通道的冲洗管上。冲洗管的另一侧连接到每个自动冲洗泵上，自动冲洗泵通过与 2-L 生理盐水袋相连，或在重力压力下直接与 2-L 生理盐水袋相连。在不同的冲洗压力设置下，对工作通道在未被器械占用和被各种器械占用的情况下，各进行 3 次、每次 30 秒的流量测量。
随着自动冲洗泵的冲洗压力增加和重力下生理盐水位置升高，冲洗流量会稳定增加（P<0.05）。然而，随着工作通道中器械尺寸的增加，流量会减少（P<0.05）。在相同压力下，重力冲洗的灌溉流量效率明显低于两种自动冲洗泵中的任何一种（P<0.05）。然而，Endoflow II 和 UROMAT 内镜自动冲洗系统在冲洗流量效率方面没有显著差异。需要调整冲洗压力设置以维持使用各种工作工具时的充足灌溉流量。
重力冲洗的灌溉流量效率明显低于两种自动冲洗泵中的任何一种。随着工作通道中器械尺寸的增加，冲洗流量会减少。
