ANSI/AAMI PB70: Understanding the Protective Barriers Standard

Description: Flexible endoscope damage is more than a repair issue; it is a patient safety risk that sterile processing and endoscopy technicians are uniquely positioned to identify before devices are used. This webinar reframes endoscope visual inspection around the 3 T’s: Tools, Training, and Time. Participants will review common types of flexible endoscope damage, understand why damage can interfere with effective cleaning and reprocessing, and learn how to apply a practical inspection workflow.

As sterile processing professionals, you have direct visibility into challenges with following IFU, device design, and workflows for processing surgical instruments and medical devices. Getting involved in research is a great way to use this knowledge and experience to help improve safety for patients and healthcare workers.

Many hospitals have already heard the message about ANSI/AAMI ST108:2023—the new standard defining the water quality required for medical device reprocessing. What’s becoming clear, however, is that understanding the standard and implementing it are two very different challenges. Across the country, even proactive Facilities and Sterile Processing teams that have begun their compliance journey are running into the same obstacles: interpreting testing parameters, managing infrastructure limitations, and coordinating responsibilities between departments. That’s why AAMI is developing TIR119, a new Technical Information Report written to guide hospitals step-by-step through implementing ST108. In this session, attendees will gain an insider’s perspective from a presenter who sits on the AAMI committee authoring TIR119. The discussion will highlight key problem areas facilities are encountering today and preview how TIR119 is designed to provide the practical tools, processes, and clarity hospitals need to move from awareness to sustainable compliance.

Endoscopy teams are working hard to meet evolving expectations for safe, defensible reprocessing, yet assessments of endoscope processing areas continue to reveal the same recurring gaps. In this webinar, we will share practical “aha moments” drawn from recent endoscopy focused assessments in hospital endoscopy departments. For each theme, we will pair what current standards and guidelines expect with what is actually being observed in the field and then translate that gap into actionable, realistic solutions.

Shaver handpieces, rigid endoscopes, and light cables are critical surgical devices that require thorough inspection and functional testing to ensure device performance, patient safety, and compliance with manufacturer Instructions for Use (IFU) and applicable standards. Failures in inspection or functional performance can lead to compromised visualization, device malfunction, delayed procedures, and increased risk to patients and staff. This session will explore the role of inspection and functionality testing throughout the device life cycle, with emphasis on identifying damage, wear, and operational performance deficiencies that may not be apparent during routine processing. Attendees will review current recommendations, standards, safety alerts, and manufacturer guidance related to these device types, and how they translate into practical workflows within Sterile Processing, the Operating Room, and Biomedical departments. In addition, recent studies and published data highlighting the impact of routine inspection and functionality testing on device performance, longevity, and risk reduction will be discussed. Participants will gain actionable insights to strengthen quality assurance programs, support compliance efforts, and promote interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure safe and reliable surgical instrumentation.

This webinar rewind was originally broadcast June 2024. This program will review the importance of keeping various medical devices in the open position during both the cleaning and sterilization process. The attendee will understand which standards, guidelines, and regulations supporting this practice for better patient outcomes. The goal of any medical device reprocessing department is to have clean and functional medical devices. Understanding the importance of keeping medical devices in the open position is one of the fundamentals of that process.

This webinar will look at lint in the processing and perioperative process and the impact it can have on patient safety.

What makes sterile processing so vital in the healthcare experience? And why is acknowledging sterile processing during SP Week (October 12 – 18, 2025) so important? In this presentation, Amy DeGraw and Adam Okada will demonstrate why Sterile Processing Week is important, and how we can show our appreciation for these typically undervalued heroes of healthcare throughout the entire year.

In this engaging one-hour continuing education program, we will delve into the latest developments and emerging trends in endoscope processing. Participants will explore recent outbreaks linked to endoscope reprocessing, review updated guidelines and standards, and discuss best practices to enhance patient safety. By the end of the session, attendees will gain valuable insights into ensuring compliance with the latest standards and improving the overall quality of endoscope reprocessing.

This presentation examines the implications of a personal near-miss that catalyzed further investigation into insulation inspection and testing practices. It analyzes the outcomes of two significant studies conducted in 2019 and between 2022 and 2023, which provide critical insights into insulation performance and safety. Additionally, the abstract reviews relevant recommendations and standards that emphasize the necessity of thorough insulation inspections and testing, underscoring their vital role in ensuring a pro-active approach in employee and patient safety.

This study that was published in the Jan/Feb 2025 edition of the PROCESS magazine covers the cleaning and integrity of shaver handpieces, which remains a patient safety concern, despite technological advancements in testing and inspection methods. This 1-year study, conducted from 2023-2024 and involving 28 facilities across 10 states, aims to identify issues related to debris and damage in shaver handpieces, as well as the contributing factors linked to inadequate tools for cleaning, inspection, verification, and education. Additionally, the study will review the documented adverse events related to shaver handpieces in the FDA MAUDE reporting database.

Reviews the impact of biofilms, what they are, how they form and how to address them with an emphasis on why disinfectants often fail despite the EPA registration.  How this impacts patient welfare and infection rates.  Look at multiple solutions some specific and some general.