Automatic Standby Light Source Technology Can Significantly Reduce the Risk of Patient Injury and Surgical Drape Burns During Endoscopic Procedures

Abstract

Background

Burn injuries and surgical drape fires are known potential complications of endoscopic surgery. Automatic standby technology (AST) triggers the light source to immediately enter “standby mode” when the light cable disconnects from the endoscope, which should reduce the likelihood of patient and caregiver injuries and operating room drape fires.

Objective

This study compared AST versus a conventional light source without this technology, examining temperature differences at the endoscope tip and adapter, as well as the propensity of disconnected light cables to burn surgical drapes.

Methods

AST and conventional light sources with standard light cables were connected to 4 mm rigid nasal endoscopes. Temperature was measured using a thermocouple sensor at the endoscope tip (112 time points at 15 s intervals) and adapter (52 time points at 15 s intervals), comparing AST and conventional light sources. A thermal camera assessed the temperature of the light cable ends immediately upon disconnection. Light cables were held to standard surgical drapes immediately after disconnection, both with direct and indirect contact.

Results

Average endoscope tip temperature was 24.0 °C for AST and 25.2 °C for conventional (p < 0.001). Average adapter temperature was 26.6 °C for AST and 27.3 °C for conventional (p = 0.003). Immediately upon disconnection, light cable temperature averaged 40.9 °C for cables attached to AST, versus 56.8 °C for conventional light sources. Conventional light cables showed notable drape burns at all time intervals with both direct and indirect contact. Damage was significantly greater with indirect contact via thermal radiation. The AST system did not burn drapes with either direct or indirect contact.

Conclusion

AST technology provides significant safety value by removing radiative heat transfer as a possible agent of patient and caregiver harm, rapidly lowering the temperature of an accidentally disconnected light cable to levels well below the threshold for causing skin injury and drape burns.