New AJIC Study: If You Can’t Clean It, Should You Be Using It?

A new paper in AJIC caught my eye this week - and it gets at something we’ve all worried about: what if some of the reusable devices we rely on just ... can’t be cleaned?

The researchers in this study scoped the insides of orthopedic and neurosurgical instruments using a borescope - after reprocessing them per manufacturer instructions. What they found: visible debris, discoloration, rust, brush bristles - even after multiple rounds of cleaning

That’s not a reprocessing failure. That’s a design problem

They highlight how certain internal features of these devices—small cavities, blind lumens, welded areas - aren’t reachable with brushes, aren’t visible to the naked eye, and sometimes can’t even be seen with a borescope. And yet we’re expected to reprocess them to a high standard every day.

The takeaway? We need better collaboration between infection prevention and manufacturers before these devices hit the field. If it can’t be cleaned, it can’t be safe - and IFUs alone aren’t enough if the physical design is working against you.

It’s a great read and a good reminder of the kind of upstream thinking we need more of in device design and validation.

📄 Full article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2025.02.003