Category: "Probing Questions"

Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probes are a vital tool in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac conditions.

At CS Medical, customer satisfaction is one of our topmost priorities. In the interest of helping our customers get the care and service they need when they need it, we have developed an online service portal to offer you a seamless and convenient experience.

According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Guidance for Preparing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), an SOP, “is a set of written instructions that document a routine or repetitive activity followed by an organization.

The healthcare industry is one of the most vital industries in the world; without it, quality of life around the globe would diminish dramatically.

Imaging technology has come an incredibly long way since ultrasounds first started to be widely available in the mid-1960s.

The Spaulding Classification system for reprocessing medical equipment has been around for over eighty years and has been instrumental in helping to prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

For years, it has been widely accepted that automated methods of cleaning and high-level disinfection are more reliable than manual methods.

Every medical facility is familiar with disinfecting wipes; most facilities employ a wide variety of wipes from various companies to accomplish different purposes.

As CS Medical celebrates its twentieth anniversary in the medical device industry, it is a time to reflect on our journey and achievements.

Get ready for an exciting year of trade show events as we at CS Medical gear up to showcase our innovative products and services across the country at nine different trade shows this year!

With COVID-19 pressures and fears finally taking a back seat, many hoped that 2022 would bring relief and a fresh start to the healthcare industry. That is not what happened. Last year has been one of the hardest for healthcare.

In the constant hustle and bustle of life when working in healthcare, it is really hard to stop and take a moment to read yet another little booklet of instructions on how to use a new version of an old product that you have used a thousand times before.

Innovation is one of the hallmarks of a thriving and flourishing society. With innovation comes growth, improvement, and progress.

When you stop to think about it, electrical leakage testers are one of the most important components when reprocessing a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probe.

Every time a new supply of disinfectant is delivered or a new medical device is opened, you may be tempted to grab the seemingly innumerable flyers, leaflets, and instructions from the box and toss them in the trash.

With the state of the world being what it is these days, it’s hard knowing who to trust. A simple Google search on any topic will pull up various opinions and “facts” which are in direct opposition to one another.

Reprocessing reusable medical devices, like TEE ultrasound probes, can be a long and tiresome process, especially when you’re busy juggling various other tasks throughout the day.

According to the American Heart Association, transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probes use high-frequency sound waves to make detailed pictures of the heart and the arteries that lead to and from it.

TEEClean is truly an innovative concept which has not been paralleled. It is notable for many features, but a few really work to make TEEClean unique.

A recent press release revealed that in a VA Medical Center in Georgia, over four thousand veterans had been exposed to improperly reprocessed medical devices.

With Complete Probe Reprocessing, there are now just seven steps to keep track of when reprocessing a TEE ultrasound probe:

As 2022 begins, CS Medical is making big plans to connect with you in two ways.

How long can a disinfected TEE probe be stored before needing to be reprocessed? To determine the best answer, there are a few things to consider.

In the process of high-level disinfection, no single step can be taken for granted. If each step is not perfectly performed each and every time, the chances of failure increase.

Properly cleaning and caring for TEE ultrasound probes is a monumental task. For those who handle these devices daily, it is possible to lose sight of the importance of what they do when they reprocess a TEE probe. Associated with this responsibility are significant hazards.

This month CS Medical is excited to be releasing our newest addition to your toolkit for transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probe reprocessing: TDefender Distal Tip Protector. This latest innovation is designed to protect TEE probes during transportation to and from the procedure room.

There are actually five great reasons to start using probe covers for your TEE ultrasound probes.

We’ve all been there. Looking at a food item that has technically expired according to the label, but looks and smells fresh. It’s easy and typically safe to ignore the label and just eat the food. But is it safe to use enzymatic cleaners or high-level disinfectants after they have expired?

The quality of that water is of extreme importance, especially the water used after high-level disinfection.

Multi-use disinfectants are not the only option available for high-level disinfection.

Improper modes of transportation introduce unnecessary risk to patients, staff, probes, and the facility.

Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probes carry a rich and fascinating history.

Learn why you should be drying TEE probes with QwikDry Ultrasound Probe Drying Cloths prior to storage.

When it comes to medical devices and the products needed for reprocessing transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probes, generic forms of high-level disinfectant can lead to very serious and costly consequences.

Where does Spaulding Classification come from and what are the classifications?

What is the FDA and what does it even mean to say that a product has been cleared for use by the FDA and how is such clearance obtained?

Waste has become a major issue over the last few decades. As society has advanced, more and more things have become disposable and we have become more and more willing to just toss things in the trash, even when it's not necessary.

2020 brought us a lot to think about through COVID-19. Some realized that perhaps more PPE was not necessarily the only solution to the scarcity of N95 masks.

How much goes into reprocessing a simple TEE probe, anyway? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a PDF outlining everything you need to know about disinfection and sterilization.

Despite all the negative feelings surrounding CE, it is actually not a waste and certainly not pointless. CE is very important, even for those who have been in the field for decades.

Cleaning a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probe is vital to achieving high-level disinfection.

Each of the goals addresses an area in which TJC has noted some deficiencies in need of correction or attention. Review these goals for your own facility and see what you can do to improve patient outcomes.

Now that surveys have resumed, it is important to know what has changed in the survey process and how you can be better prepared. The survey process looks "somewhat different" according to TJC.

CS Medical LLC has decided to continue as an APIC Strategic Partner in 2021 in order to keep fighting towards healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention.

Not only are HAIs unbelievably expensive and damaging to a healthcare facility, but they diminish and sometimes reverse the hard work put in by healthcare professionals to get patients healthy. In some cases, they even lead to death.

This year is coming to a close. Finally. With 2020 in the rearview, many are looking expectantly to 2021, wondering what the new year will bring. While we can’t know what lies ahead for us in the coming year, we can prepare for it.

In this age of instant information at our fingertips, technologies that retain all information on a patient procedure and make it easily transportable via thumb drive are very attractive. But are they compliant with laws and standards set by HIPAA and by accrediting agencies, like TJC?

When you’re considering purchasing an automated TEE ultrasound probe reprocessor for your facility. At CS Medical, we recognize that every facility has different preferences and needs, so we provide several state of the art options to take into consideration:

The Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS) state, in their most recent published, Guidelines for Reprocessing the Ultrasound Transducer that “Effective disinfection or sterilization requires adequate cleaning.”

As you have been thinking about or reviewing existing SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures), a key factor that is important to always remember is your staff and the complex job they are tasked to complete.

Peracetic acid (PAA) is a high-level disinfectant (HLD) used in various industries ranging from sterilization in a healthcare setting to food processing.

Becker’s Hospital Review reports that, “The total direct, indirect and nonmedical social costs of HAIs are estimated at around $96 billion to $147 billion annually, including loss of work, legal costs and other patient factors.” How can infections cost so much?

In an effort to reduce the amount of time healthcare professionals must spend reprocessing transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probes, our scientists and engineers have developed the TD 200® Automated TEE Probe Disinfector with TD 12® AquaCide® High Level Disinfectant.

While transesophageal echocardiography has been helpful in assessing cardiac function for COVID-19 patients, COVID-19 presents healthcare facilities with new challenges.

We have recently upgraded and significantly expanded our in-house Microbiology and Chemistry Laboratories. This renovation helps keep us on the cutting edge of our field and provides you with great products that can get the job done right, every time, saving you time, money, and stress.

After bedside cleaning, cleaning, and then high-level disinfecting a TEE ultrasound probe, it’s time to give it a quick wipe with a paper towel and store it. If this sounds familiar, you’re not drying your probes properly.

Knowing the incredible lengths our healthcare workers have gone to keep us all safe has inspired CS Medical to provide solutions to keep our healthcare workers safe.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread shortages of PPE in the healthcare world, especially of face masks, like N95 respirators. Seeing this major problem, CS Medical has teamed up with AirClean Systems to provide a solution to the PPE shortage: the UV Light Box.

Fortunately for those who were looking forward to visiting CS Medical’s booth this year, we have some wonderful news: you don’t have to miss out. Because of CS Medical’s dedication to stopping the spread of HAIs, we will be hosting a virtual event in lieu of attending APIC’s Annual Conference.

After you remove your TEE probe from your TEEClean or TD 100 and you dry it off? Should you hang it up, put it in a case, or something else? And once stored, how long can probes stay high-level disinfected? Let’s go over the basics and understand what the best practices are for TEE probe storage.

At the forefront of every healthcare worker’s mind these days are all the new risks posed by COVID-19. It is easy to feel like COVID-19 is an insurmountable disease which requires a major shift in how we think about high-level disinfection.

In an effort to better serve our customers, CS Medical’s Service Department would like to announce the production of TD 100 Service Videos.

Our CS Medical team receives a lot questions regarding Annual Device Verification, so we’ve put together a list of some of the most common concerns and their responses:

Evidence has been presented that semi-critical devices, devices that come in contact with mucous membranes or non-intact skin, such as endoscopes and endocavity probes, cause more healthcare associated infections than non-critical or critical medical devices...

According to HIPAA, ePHI is, “any protected health information that is created, stored, transmitted, or received in any electronic format or media.” Any medical device which retains this information can prove to be a weakness in your facility’s defense of patient ePHI...

Do we have any reason to believe our water is always safe for consumption? More importantly, do we know that our municipal water is safe for rinsing semi-critical devices, like TEE probes and endoscopes, so as to retain high-level disinfection status?

Organizing and implementing self-assessments may feel like an added pressure, but as everyone in the healthcare industry knows: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

There are at least three solid reasons for making the change to automation and propelling your healthcare facility into the future.

Too many facilities have no standardized way of storing transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probes. Some facilities have used transportation cases to store their TEE probes, but that is not their intended use and is actually prohibited in several countries.

When reprocessing TEE probes, the focus is on ensuring that the probe shaft is properly bedside cleaned, cleaned, and high-level disinfected. But what about the TEE probe handle and the cables?

Today, CS Medical announced a strategic partnership with the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)

The Joint Commission (TJC) has released its National Patient Safety Goals for 2020. According to TJC, these goals are developed in an effort to improve patient safety in hospitals in the coming year.

Let’s look at four HLDs commonly used to reprocess TEE ultrasound probes and find out what the risks are and how to mitigate them.

Give your staff the training they need so that they can give your patients the care they deserve.

When reprocessing TEE ultrasound probes, it is vital to perform electrical leakage testing after every single use. While the reasons for electrical leakage testing are numerous, there are three reasons that really stand out...

Companies which offered comprehensive training programs to their employees enjoy a 24% higher profit margin than those who spent less on training.

The Joint Commission (TJC) will score them based on the procedure they use to high-level disinfect TEE probes, many do not realize that proper storage is also on TJC’s audit checklist.

Are you prepared to provide records of every single cleaning and disinfection event for your TEE probes?

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) can save the day at your healthcare facility and even save lives.

A feature that can give users and healthcare facilities more confidence that they are providing patients with the highest level of care and security.

TEE probes are very easily damaged if they are banged, scraped, or mishandled.

Material compatibility testing is what ensures the safety and longevity of practically every medical device on the market

This year, APIC’s 46th annual conference was held in Philadelphia, PA, from June 12-14.

The first product of its kind to be cleared by the US FDA

When considering purchasing new equipment and putting new processes in place, healthcare facilities always have to consider whether these changes will save money.

When reprocessing transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) ultrasound probes, sometimes the numerous steps can feel overwhelming

Overlooking water quality can have serious repercussions for patients and healthcare facilities.

In recent years the development of single-use HLDs has introduced a new question: is single-use a better option than reusable?

When biofilm forms on a device, like a transesophageal echocardiogram ultrasound (TEE) probe, it is nearly impossible to remove and can endanger patient safety.

Occupational exposure poses a real risk to employees at healthcare facilities and must be properly addressed in order to keep everyone in good health.

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) place a huge financial burden on facilities, can have enormous impacts on a provider's reputation, and put financial and emotional strain on patients.

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) place a huge financial burden on facilities, can have enormous impacts on a provider’s reputation, and put financial and emotional strain on patients.

What do you do when your TEE ultrasound probe has broken? There are many complications that can result from an inadequate repair.

If a probe is not cleaned properly, it may result in biofilm developing on the probe, making disinfection difficult to achieve.

Since TEE Probes and Endoscopes can look alike, it can be easy to assume that they can be cleaned and disinfected in the same manner.