GI View, an Israeli firm, won FDA clearance for its Aer-O-Scope colonoscopy system with integrated working channels. The original Aer-O-Scope colonoscope was previously FDA cleared for colorectal cancer screening, but the new model now has two working channels that can be used to deliver things like snares and forceps for biopsies and polypectomies.
What’s really innovative about the Aer-O-Scope is the ability to flex the tip in any direction, providing a complete 360° view of the colon. One can look behind folds and to navigate the lumen in both directions to see it both from the front and back.
It has two balloons that help navigating and visualizing the interior of the colon. One is placed right behind the sphincter and inflated to block air passage, while the other stays right behind the camera tip. Because the first balloon blocks the rectum, the colon can be inflated using CO2 from the inside to provide space to move and to better see the intestine. The balloon at the distal tip helps to create additional space so that the camera can be flexed.
The colonoscope is disposable, helping to prevent cross-contamination and the costs associated with having to sterilize devices between use.
Here’s a video showing how the Aer-O-Scope is used:
Product page: Aer-O-Scope Colonoscope…
Flashbacks: GI View’s Aer-O-Scope and Colonoscopy System…; Aer-O-Scope, a Self Powered Colonoscope with 360° View, FDA Cleared…