CS Medical® is pleased to announce the successful clearance of a new Class II medical device by the US FDA, Ethos® Automated Ultrasound Probe Cleaner Disinfector. Ethos is the first medical device cleared in North America which provides both cleaning and high-level disinfection of endocavity and surface ultrasound probes. Ethos marks a new era in the reprocessing of reusable medical instruments. The healthcare professional simply places a point of care cleaned ultrasound probe into Ethos and follows simple prompts on the color touchscreen display. Ethos guides the healthcare professional through an FDA validated workflow for effective reprocessing of soiled transvaginal, transrectal, or surface ultrasound probes. Electronic record retention is part of Ethos with the ability to store more than 15,000 sessions in system memory. The user interface allows data entry through a scanner or manual keypad entry on the large 7‑inch color LCD touchscreen.
Ethos delivers a new method for cleaning and high-level disinfection of soiled probes with AquaCide® cleaner disinfectant, the first of its kind to obtain FDA clearance. AquaCide cleans and disinfects each ultrasound probe in only 3 minutes. The combination of AquaCide cleaner disinfectant and QwikCheck liquid chemical indicator removes the manual process of cleaning, disinfection, and user validation of chemistry efficacy. Ethos reduces the time and amount of human labor spent to reprocess an ultrasound probe. By removing the manual process and creating a repeatable and validated process CS Medical and Ethos have taken the guess work out of the reprocessing of endocavity and surface ultrasound probes. An advanced vapor management system is incorporated, as well as high quality water filtration system through an FDA registered Class II device. Ethos rinses each cleaned and high-level disinfected ultrasound probe with a 5 nanometer (.005 micron) water filter that retains bacteria, viruses, and endotoxins.
“Today’s news marks a new era in the reprocessing of endocavity and surface ultrasound probes. Healthcare professionals can now have confidence in the cleaning and high-level disinfection of soiled ultrasound probes. It is now possible within one machine, Ethos, to clean and high-level disinfect. Ethos is the first automated cleaner disinfector for endocavity and surface probes. At CS Medical, we have listened to our TEEClean customer base to design and deliver a product with the same characteristics and ease of use as TEEClean for TEE probes. Ethos automated cleaner disinfector will provide healthcare professionals with the same ease of use and confidence when reprocessing endocavity and surface ultrasound probes. A new era in the reprocessing of all ultrasound probes is possible through the innovations and commitment of CS Medical and its staff over the past decade. Ethos and TEEClean together can provide any healthcare facility with confidence and compliance when reprocessing an endocavity or surface ultrasound probe. Ethos is the combination of years of research, development, and commitment by our entire staff.” said Mark Leath, CS Medical President. “Ethos is another example of our continued commitment to working with healthcare professionals and other professional organizations in the reduction of HAIs and increase awareness for a better and safer healthcare system. In addition to our employees, I am thankful and appreciative of the cooperation and assistance given to us by various ultrasound probe manufacturers, without whom Ethos would not be the product it is today.”
