Abstract: PD35-09
Sources of Funding: None

Introduction

Due to the high cost and limited durability associated with reusable ureteroscopes, single-use ureteroscopes have been gaining popularity in recent years. We aimed to directly compare the YouCare Single-Use fiberoptic flexible ureteroscope (YC-FR-A) to contemporary reusable/single-use flexible ureteroscopes in regards to optics, resolution, deflection, and irrigation flow.

Methods

Four flexible ureteroscopes, YC-FR-A (YouCare Tech, China), LithoVue (Boston Scientific, USA), Flex-Xc (Karl Storz, Germany), and Cobra (Richard Wolf, Germany), were assessed in vitro for image resolution, distortion, color representation, and grayscale imaging. Ureteroscope deflection was tested with an empty channel followed by placement of a 200µm laser fiber and a 1.9F wire basket. Irrigation flow was measured using normal saline at a height of 100cm through an empty channel, channel with 200µm laser fiber, and channel with 1.9F basket.

Results

The optical and functional characteristics of the four ureteroscopes are shown in Table 1. The YC-FR-A showed a resolution of 5.04 lines/mm and 4.3% image distortion. No substantial difference was demonstrated in color reproducibility or in the discernment of gray-scales between ureteroscopes. The YC-FR-A had an impressive one-way deflection of 349 degrees at baseline but lacks two-way deflection capability. In addition, there was a loss of deflection ability with any instrument in the working channel, with a loss of deflection ranging from 17.7 degrees to 30.3 degrees. With an empty channel, the YC-FR-A showed a maximum flow rate of 59 mL/min, which is the highest flow rate among the tested ureteroscopes. However, the flow rate decreased to 28.7 and 16.7 mL/min with laser fiber and basket in the working channel, respectively.

Conclusions

The YouCare Single-Use fiber-optic ureteroscope has comparable resolution to the Cobra fiberoptic ureteroscope but cannot match the two digital ureteroscopes tested. Although the one-way deflection and ergonomics of the YC-FR-A are not intuitive, this scope can be a viable alternative to the current reusable/single-use flexible ureteroscopes on the market; additionally, newer digital models in production may be more competitive.

Funding

None