Cost savings extend to the repair side too. While an OEM might charge something in the neighborhood of $8,000-$10,000 to overhaul a scope, an ISO might price the same overhaul anywhere from $3,000-$5,000.

From One Patient To The Next


Finally, there's some debate as to exactly how sterile is sterile when a particular scope is used from one patient to the next. Before each successive use, and depending on the type of scope, it undergoes an intense sterilization, sometimes using chemicals, autoclaves and other methods.

The question asked by some, including Carlos Babini of Vision Sciences, Orangeburg, NY, is whether any matter remains in a channel after it's been sterilized. "There is a potential that material can be passed from one patient to another," Babini says.

That contention has led Vision Sciences to introduce a throwaway sheath that is placed over a scope prior to its insertion into a human being. Once the procedure is completed, the sheath is discarded.

The company, which has 50 patents on this and similar innovations, has already introduced the sheath to European medical communities. Next up is displaying what Babini says is a breakthrough to conventions of urologists and gastro-intestinologists.

"The sheath covers the tube," he says, "and the scope never comes in contact with the patient."

Though the jury remains out about the sheath, several manufacturers are known to be working on modifications that guarantee sterilization.

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DOTmed Registered Endoscopy Sales and Service Companies
Names in boldface are Premium Listings.

Domestic
Alberto Voli, MedFix Solutions, Inc., AZ
DOTmed Certified
Scott Carson, Med1Online.com, CO
Michael Dudeff, Metro Medical Ind., Inc., CT
EW Schadow, FLS, FL
Adrian Bias, Advanced Endoscopy, Inc., FL
DOTmed Certified
Harvey Buxbaum, HMB Endoscopy Products, FL
Jorge Fernandez, ABC Med, Inc., FL
David Bello, Endoscopy Replacement Parts, Inc., FL
Bruce Mason, Advanced Endoscopy Devices, Inc., FL
DOTmed Certified
Scott Mason, Endoscopy Resources, Inc., FL
DOTmed Certified/100
Jacob Glaser, Endoscopy Specialists, Inc., Fl
DOTmed Certified
Dan Spivey, FrontLine Medical, FL
Cornel Cacuci, Apex Endoscopy, Inc., GA
George Albulescu, Medifix, Inc., IL
Sam Kanan, Laproman, MI
Mitchell Guier, North American Medical, MO
DOTmed Certified/100
Edward Soto, The Scope Exchange, NC
Adam Rudinger, Lex-Tech, Inc., NY
Carlos Babini, Vision-Sciences, Inc., NY
Stuart Jackson, Pro Scope Systems, OH
DOTmed Certified
Jeff Schell, EndoscopyMD, SC
Scott Townsend, Townsend Surgical, TN
Addam Arrington, Pilot Medical, Inc., TN
DOTmed Certified
Shannon Moore, STAT Biomedical Sales and Rentals, Inc., TX
DOTmed Certified
Philip Mothena, Simple Solutions, Inc., VA
John Mendez, Med-Lab Exess, VA
Monte Montain, BPI Medical, Inc., WA

International
Antonio Alves Dos Santos, Video Imagem, Brazil
Ed Mundle, Endofocus Medical Technologies, Inc. - Endofocus, Canada
Marco Pazmino, Alem, Ecuador
Vasant Sohoni, Vasant Sohoni & Associates, India
Mario Galluzzi, MD, Italy
Nasir Khan, Deans Medical Equipment, Pakistan
Samuel Chilcon, Techno Standard S.A.C., Peru
Edwin Pelet, MedServ Latin America, Puerto Rico

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