How Everis™ Next advances endoscope cleaning
How Everis™ Next advances endoscope cleaning
Endoscope and surgical device cleaning reach new heights with groundbreaking technology from Novozymes – helping your customers achieve a new level of clean.
Picture this:
You’re about to undergo an endoscopy. Your family is in the next room. You trust your doctor. Everything feels right. Just one problem. Unbeknownst to you, the endoscope that’s about to enter your body is dirty. Despite standard cleaning practices, it contains DNA left over from a previous patient.
Sound scary?
Sadly, this scenario is rampant and often leads to preventable illnesses. In the U.S., healthcare associated infections (HAIs) take an estimated 98,000 lives every year. The financial burden is equally sobering, totaling roughly $28 billion per year. In Europe, the numbers are even worse, clocking in at 147,000 deaths and €7 billion per year.
These statistics put tremendous pressure on your customers. Hospitals and clinics should be places of healing, not breeding grounds for HAIs.
Thankfully, there’s hope. In response to the prevalence of these entirely preventable infections, Novozymes has launched Everis™ Next, a groundbreaking enzyme solution that targets and loosens sticky DNA soils.
This proven formula empowers your customers to clean dirty endoscopes and other surgical devices more quickly and effectively than existing commercial detergents, protecting them from dangerous and costly complications.
Let’s take a closer look at why Everis Next is compelling.
Understanding the problem
Detergents that clean protein, carbohydrates and fats off surgical devices have existed for quite some time, but until now, none of them have been able to effectively remove DNA.
A study published in the American Journal of Infection Control tested 109 endoscopes for cleanliness by flushing them with a buffer solution. Even though the solutions were found to be free of cell cultures, free DNA was still detected in 40% of the cases.
This is a significant problem because DNA left over from previous patients can harbor HAI-causing bacteria.
Repair costs also present a challenge. Over time, endoscopes acquire natural wear and tear in the form of dents and scratches. These damages are great hiding spots for biological debris.
Because current cleaning methods are often incapable of reaching these crevices, endoscopes are frequently sent to be repaired. According to a 2017 study by leading healthcare researcher Cori Ofstead, repairs account for nearly 50% of overall endoscope maintenance costs.
Finally, modern hospitals and clinics simply can’t afford to operate with subpar cleaning procedures. One bad online review could be all it takes to convince potential patients to steer clear of their facilities.
Enter: Everis™ Next
In response to these challenges, Novozymes developed Everis™ Next, a phosphodiesterase (PDE) that removes free DNA soils existing cleaning detergents can’t reach.
To put it to the test, we grew a culture of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa bacteria, which is known to cause HAIs, then killed it with peracetic acid. We then cleaned the resulting DNA-containing soil with varying dosages of Everis™ Next and compared the resulting soil levels.
The experiment yielded the following results:
In five minutes of cleaning time, a top-tier enzymatic detergent had no effect on the soil, while a 2% Everis™ Next solution washed off 20%, a 5% Everis™ Next solution washed off 40% and a 10% Everis™ Next solution washed off 60%.
In 60 minutes of cleaning time, the top-tier enzymatic detergent washed off the same amount as the 2% Everis™ Next solution did in just five minutes.
In addition, we also determined that when additional 3% Liquanase Everis is added, the cleaning power of Everis™ Next remains high even after eight weeks of storage at 30 degrees Celsius.
How to communicate the benefits to your customers
Everis™ next adds a new and powerful dimension to the surgical equipment cleaning process. Show customers why it makes a difference by emphasizing the following:
By removing free DNA soils more effectively than previously possible, Everis™ Next changes the game in the fight against HAIs while reducing burdensome cleaning and repair costs. This potent enzyme solution allows you to conduct daily operations with confidence and efficiency.
Ready to reformulate your products? Reach out to your Novozymes rep and we’ll be happy to walk you through every step of the process, as well as work with you on how to maximize your marketing claims and improve patient outcomes at the same time.