An autonomous economical and efficient ureteroscopic irrigation system

Abstract Background In recent years, the minimally invasive technique for treating nephrolithiasis has been developed rapidly. Particularly, the flexible ureteroscopy has been extensively applied. For flexible ureteroscopy lithotripsy, the perfusion equipment is necessary to ensure a clear intraoperative field of view. This study was aimed to prepare a set of economical and efficient ureteroscopic irrigation system by some commonly used devices in clinical diagnosis and treatment practice. Methods In this study, according to requirements of the endoscopic surgery, the infusion apparatus, infusion apparatus extension tube, three-way plug valve, Luer one-way valve, ordinary syringe, and negative pressure spring were used to assemble the irrigation system with different functions. Results The autonomous perfusion device realized the real-time conversion of manual injection, continuous perfusion or negative pressure suction. The entire equipment has many advantages, including easily accessible raw materials, low cost, simple assembly process, easy operation, strong controllability, effective control ability for the intrarenal pressure, and high safety. Conclusions The commonly used medical devices were applied to assemble the autonomous ureteroscopic irrigation system, which is flexible, simple and cost-effective and thus can be applied in flexible ureteroscopic surgery.