Electrochemical Disinfection Using Palladium Coated Carbon Cloth Electrodes III: Potential Method for Endoscope Deterging

The endoscope is one of the most extensively used medical devices. Endoscopes are deterged with extreme care because they are inserted directly in the body. Electrochemical disinfection using a palladium-coated carbon cloth electrode was applied to deterge a rod-shaped tool as a potential endoscope-deterging method because it required no toxic agent, did not cause secondary pollution, and provided an eco-friendly disinfection system. The anodic polarization of palladium in an NaCI-containing solution led to the effective generation of disinfective CIO- and the simultaneous gas evolution caused natural convection that increased the disinfection efficacy. Electrochemical degreasing could also be attained by alternating between positive and negative electrode polarities. (C) The Electrochemical Society of Japan, All rights reserved.