Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T00:19:57.380Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Thermal properties of operative endoscopes used in otorhinolaryngology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 October 2007

S A C MacKeith ,
S Frampton  and
D D Pothier
S A C MacKeith*
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, St Michael's Hospital, Bristol, UK
S Frampton
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, Royal United Hospital, Bath, UK
D D Pothier
Affiliation:
Department of ENT, Royal United Hospital, Bath, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Mr Samuel A C MacKeith, Senior House Officer in Otolaryngology, St Michael's Hospital, Southwell Street, Bristol BS2 8EG, UK. Fax: 0117 928 5727 E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives:

To measure the thermal properties of operative endoscopes used in otorhinolaryngological practice.

Methods:

A series of endoscopes of varying diameters and angulations were attached to a light source and temperature measurements taken of their shaft and tip; a measurement was also taken 5 mm in front of the endoscope tip.

Results:

Temperature changes took place rapidly. The amount of heat produced by the endoscopes was maximal at the tip, with larger diameter endoscopes attaining a higher temperature. Temperatures on the shaft and in front of the tip reached relatively constant temperatures independent of the type of endoscope. The maximum temperature achieved was 104.6°C for the 4 mm, 0° endoscope. Cooling occurred rapidly after the light source was switched off.

Conclusion:

The heat produced by some endoscopes is sufficiently great to cause thermal injury to tissues. Awareness of the temperatures produced by these endoscopes should prompt clinicians to actively cool their endoscopes during a procedure, before any thermal injury is caused.

Keywords

OtoscopyEndoscopyMiddle EarHeatBurns
Type
Main Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 122 , Issue 7 , July 2008 , pp. 711 - 714
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Hopkins, HH, Kapany, NS. A flexible fiberscope. Nature 1954;173:39–41CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2 Gamea, A, Fathi, M, el Guindy, A. The use of the rigid endoscope in trans-sphenoidal pituitary surgery. J Laryngol Otol 1994;108:19–22CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3 Badr-El-Dine, M. Value of ear endoscopy in cholesteatoma surgery. Otol Neurotol 2002 23:631–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4 Bottrill, ID, Poe, DS. Endoscope-assisted ear surgery. Am J Otol 1995 16:158–63Google ScholarPubMed
5 El Meselaty, K, Badr-El-Dine, M, Mandour, M, Mourad, M, Darweesh, R. Endoscope affects decision making in cholesteatoma surgery. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2003 129:490–6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6 Rosenberg, SI, Silverstein, H, Hoffer, M, Nichols, M. Use of endoscopes for chronic ear surgery in children. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1995 121:870–2CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7 Rosenberg, SI, Silverstein, H, Willcox, TO, Gordon, MA. Endoscopy in otology and neurotology. Am J Otol 1994 15:168–72Google ScholarPubMed
8 Tarabichi, M. Endoscopic management of acquired cholesteatoma. Am J Otol 1997 18:544–9Google ScholarPubMed
9 Youssef, TF, Poe, DS. Endoscope-assisted second-stage tympanomastoidectomy. Laryngoscope 1997 107:1341–4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10 Hori, T, Okada, Y, Maruyama, T, Chernov, M, Attia, W. Endoscope-controlled removal of intrameatal vestibular schwannomas. Minim Invasive Neurosurg 2006 49:25–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11 McKennan, KX. Endoscopy of the internal auditory canal during hearing conservation acoustic tumor surgery. Am J Otol 1993 14:259–62Google ScholarPubMed
12 Bellina, JH, Haas, M. Cold light sources. Are they really cold? J Reprod Med 1984 29:275–7Google ScholarPubMed
13 Sandhu, H, Turner, R, Pozo, JL. No smoke without fire – simple recommendations to avoid arthroscopic burns. Knee 2002 9:341–6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14 Wackym, PA, King, WA, Meyer, GA, Poe, DS. Endoscopy in neuro-otologic surgery. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 2002 35:297–323CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15 Hensman, C, Hanna, GB, Drew, T, Moseley, H, Cuschieri, A. Total radiated power, infrared output, and heat generation by cold light sources at the distal end of endoscopes and fiber optic bundle of light cables. Surg Endosc 1998 12:335–7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16 Bottrill, I, Perrault, DF Jr, Poe, D. In vitro and in vivo determination of the thermal effect of middle ear endoscopy. Laryngoscope 1996 106:213–16CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17 Stoll, AM, Greene, LC. Relationship between pain and tissue damage due to thermal radiation. J Appl Physiol 1959 14:373–82CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed