Rigid Endoscope Repair
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Rigid Endoscope Repair Workshop
Surgical Holdings' new rigid endoscope repair workshop utilises all the latest technologies used in Optical Repair, including laser welding and the latest soldering techniques to ensure we offer the highest quality third-party scope repair, as highlighted in the MHRA ‘Managing Medical Devices – April 2016’. We also build our own fibre bundles in house, for full refibre of endoscopes.
Before and After - Refibre of Endoscope
We present our Rigid Endoscope Solutions Booklet - this booklet (V2) introduces our Rigid Endoscope Repair Service Package and other supporting products.
Download Rigid Scope Solutions PDF
Rigid Endoscope Fault Identification PDF
- We are ISO 13485 accredited. Our technicians have been repairing scopes for 25 years.
- European parts are used to ensure the longevity of your endoscope repair.
- Our trained technicians work through a repair report, and calibrated equipment sets your endoscope up so that it works to its optimum ability.
- Laser welding is utilised for shafts and sealing where appropriate
- A full breakdown and summary report of the endoscope repair work carried out is provided.
- Reverse engineering is utilised, through Surgical Holdings engineering workshop to allow us to manufacture parts for the latest models of scopes where required.
- We stock parts for manufacturers such as Storz, Wolf, Olympus, Aesculap, and all parts have full traceability through our ISO 13485 accredited quality system.
We follow the Manufacturer’s optical specification where possible to ensure the original quality of the scope is maintained, using high-quality compatible parts. Any manufacturers or CE marks are retained.
Our process
- Scope booked into database for traceability, s/n, make and model.
- Photo is taken down the scope to assess condition.
- Lenses are stripped; condition of each optical component inspected.
- All components microscopically inspected to ensure they are fully working.
- Broken parts replaced and all original components cleaned.
- Scope undergoes a range of stringent tests - another photo is taken.
- You are contacted (fax, email or phone) with the price of the repair.
- On acceptance, the repair is completed.
- Endoscope is packed and sent with a detailed customer report.
- We offer an 18-month guarantee on our endoscope repair service.
Warranty
We offer an 18-month guarantee on our endoscope repair service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Surgical Holdings repair endoscopes from other manufacturers?
At Surgical Holdings, we offer Storz scope repair, Olympus scope repair, Wolf scope repair, Aesculap scope repair and also repair endoscopes from many other manufacturers.
Can CE marking on rigid scopes be invalidated?
CE is not a sign of device quality, it is a sign of compliance with the essential requirements 93/42/EEC. CE marking shows that the manufacturer has checked that these products meet EU safety, Health or environmental requirements.
Surgical Holdings repair endoscopes using compatible parts, maintaining any traceability marks, using appropriately skilled technicians and following the OEM specification. Scopes are tested to ensure they are performing correctly to this specification, therefore the scope still meets the CE marking requirements after repair.
Our spare parts are compatible and are to the correct specification and quality for the scope we are repairing. Our scopes are tested and verified after repair to confirm that they are working to our repaired standards. A report is used with this.
Patient safety may be compromised if something went wrong during a procedure using third-party repaired scopes.
Surgical Holdings has its quality system approved to ISO 13485 for repairs. The main potential quality issue with scopes is the distal sealing system. We can confirm that we follow the OEM’s distal sealing mechanisms i.e. if they utilise a soldered window – we follow the original specification. We also offer laser welding on shafts.
Why carry out a full re-fibre of an endoscope, rather than polish?
Feel free to read our explainer to learn how a full re-fibre can save money in the long term.
What are our legal liabilities with regard to using third-party rigid endoscope repairs?
In the very unlikely event of an endoscope that we have repaired being involved in an adverse incident and that the incident was related to the repair that we had carried out, we are happy to reassure you that we are fully insured to the level that is recommended by the MHRA. We can forward a copy of our policy documents to anyone that wishes to see them.
All OEM warranties and guarantees are rendered null and void.
If the fault is unrelated to the repair by a third party the warranty should stand with the OEM. If an OEM seal breaks down on a scope we have repaired within the warranty period we will do a complimentary repair, so the customer is not inconvenienced in any way. You also of course get an 18-month warranty on all our repairs.
Realistically, endoscopes are well-designed non-dynamic and very delicate. This means that in a hospital environment, it is very likely the scopes will get damaged/broken well before any OEM seal is likely to fail. Indeed, due to the nature of certain procedures, some arthroscopes are damaged nearly every time that they are used.
We receive a brand new telescope with a year’s warranty on our current repair/replace agreement so why repair?
We offer an 18-month warranty on all our repairs. The repair is much cheaper than an OEM repair replacement, so there is no benefit to having a repair/replacement scope, as all our repairs are done to OEM specifications.
There have been “advisory and warnings” on using generic parts during repairs.
The advice and warnings that the MHRA make about servicing is global advice and is just common sense. It talks about checking the service company is competent and parts being used are safe. These warnings are general advice on things to check when choosing a service provider.
The MHRA (MHRA DB2006(05)) in England stipulate: “Where available use a service provider who complies with relevant quality system standards, such as BS EN ISO 13485:2003 [10] or BS EN ISO 9001:2000 [11]. These standards ensure their work is consistently of the nature and quality intended”.
As the MHRA advises, Surgical Holdings have an ISO 13485 and ISO 9001 quality system.
Meet Paige and Richie, who are both based in our UK workshop:
For more information about our rigid endoscope repairs, please email info@surgicalholdings.co.uk or call us on 01702 602050.