"A refurbished endoscope is in many ways better than a new scope, due to continuous improvements in the manufacture of required parts," says Townsend. "The OEM will rarely improve existing models in favor of developing new models. Our R&D and process improvement continues after the OEM moves on to newer models."


Although every scope is different, the refurbished process generally follows the same order: disassembly and inspection, cleaning to eliminate corrosion, replacement of all worn or damaged components, rebuilding and testing process. Life Systems, Inc., has a 150-point inspection and quality control that follows each refurbishment. Jeffrey Lay President, CEO of the company lists the important steps for every scope refurbishment.

"Replacement of the insertion tube and all internal moving components with brand new parts, refurbishment of the control body and light guide connector, replacement of switch head and light guide tube as needed and replacement of any other worn or damaged part," he says. "Larger diameter endoscopes are typically easier from a labor and time standpoint but small diameter scopes can be refurbished to the same standard with a few additional labor hours per unit." Then of course, there's a growing demand overseas, but it's not always easy to get that equipment into the hands of the facilities that need it.




"The greatest challenge facing the industry today is making endoscopy equipment available to those doctors who work in poor or developing countries where they cannot afford to buy the new and expensive instrumentation," Buxbaum says. "We are working to help."

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