An Experimental Study and Modeling of Water Condensation to Eliminate Fogging on Endoscope Lenses, Using A New, Hyper-Hydrophilic Coating Called KnoxFog™

ORAL

Abstract

Lenses in laparoscopes, arthroscopes, laryngoscopes, and gastro-endoscopes fog during closed-body surgery due to the evaporation of bodily fluids and the temperature gradient between the body and the operating room. Surgeons must repeatedly remove, clean, and reinsert these scopes that are obscured by fog. As a result, surgery duration, infection risks, and scarring from air exposure increase. Current methods trying to address fogging introduce other complications. Acidic alcohol-based coatings irritate tissue and quickly evaporate while heating endoscopes requires reheating every 5 to 20 minutes.

A new approach is to use a hyper-hydrophilic [1,3] anti-fog gel to coat the lens. Previous super-hydrophilic [2] anti-fog fluids flatten the water condensate but get washed away by the water build-up. This new hyper-hydrophilic gel coating, called KnoxFog™, instantaneously creates an anti-fog thin solid film that both flattens the water condensate and absorbs it, thereby eliminating the need for drying and significantly increasing the duration of the antifog effect for hours. This new gel is bio-compatible, non-toxic, pH neutral (7.2-7.4), and long-lasting. KnoxFog™ is applied via a sterile applicator specifically designed for endoscope lenses - called ClearEndoscope™ - to consistently and effectively deliver uniform antifog thin solid films. These films are 99% transparent and free of optical distortion. The combination of KnoxFog™ and ClearEndoscope™ is a new surgical device called FogBan™.

*Infinitum BioMed LLC, SiO2 Innovates LLC, and UV One Hygienics Inc. are here gratefully acknowledged.

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Publication: [1] Herbots, N., Russell-Hill, M.I., Suppes, D.D., "Fog Elimination Systems for Endoscopic Lenses, Including Surgical Scopes, Sterilizing Applicators and Anti-Fog Coatings" US Patent Pending (2023)

[2] Herbots, N. et al. "Super-Hydrophilic, Bio-compatible Anti-Fog Coating for Lenses in Closed Body Cavity Surgery…" MRS Advances 1, 2141–2146 (2016) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2016.474

[3] Herbots, N., Russell-Hill, M.I., Suppes, D.D., Suresh, A. P., Prakash, S. T., Swaminathan, S. J., Swaminathan, V. J., Thinakaran, A., Amin, V. Y. V., Rane, R. N., Jimenez, N. T., Dancho, E. B., Sreepathy, R., "An Experimental Study and Modeling of Water Condensation to Eliminate Fogging on Endoscope Lenses, Using New Hyper-Hydrophilic Coatings Called KnoxFog™" - to be submitted to BioInterphases, J. of Biomaterials and Biological Interphases, publ. by the American Vacuum Society, AIP (2023)

[4] Izzati Fatimah Wahab, A.R. Bushroa, Soon Wee Teck, Taium Tasneem Azmi, M.Z. Ibrahim, J.W. Lee, "Fundamentals of antifogging strategies, coating techniques and properties of inorganic materials; a comprehensive review", Journal of Materials Research and Technology, Volume 23, 2023, Pages 687-714, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.01.015

[5] Domke, M., Sonderegger, G., Kostal, E., Matylitsky V., Stroj S., "Transparent laser-structured glasses with superhydrophilic properties for anti-fogging applications.", Appl. Phys. A 125, 675 (2019). DOI:10.1007/s00339-019-2953-6

Presenters

  • Ashwin Suresh

    • Infinitum BioMed / SiO2 Innovates LLC/ UV One Hygienics Inc.
    • Infinitum BioMed / SiO2 Innovates LLC/ UV One Hygienics Inc./ Arizona State University Dept. of Physics

Authors

  • Ashwin Suresh

    • Infinitum BioMed / SiO2 Innovates LLC/ UV One Hygienics Inc.
    • Infinitum BioMed / SiO2 Innovates LLC/ UV One Hygienics Inc./ Arizona State University Dept. of Physics

  • Shreyash T Prakash

    • Infinitum BioMed/ SiO2 Innovates/ Arizona State U. Physics
    • Infinitum BioMed LLC BP w/UV ONE Hygienics & SiO2 Innovates LLC/Solar GAAS
    • Arizona State University

  • Srivatsan J Swaminathan

    • Arizona State University
    • Infinitum BioMed / SiO2 Innovates LLC/ UV One Hygienics Inc.

  • Visweshwar G Swaminathan

    • Infinitum BioMed / SiO2 Innovates LLC/ UV One Hygienics Inc.
    • Arizona State University

  • Aarush Thinakaran

    • Infinitum BioMed/ SiO2 Innovates/ Arizona State U. Physics

  • Viraj Y Amin

    • Infinitum BioMed / SiO2 Innovates LLC/ UV One Hygienics Inc.
    • Arizona State University
    • Infinitum BioMed/ SiO2 Innovates LLC/ UV ONE Hygienics Inc.

  • Rianna N Rane

    • Infinitum BioMed/ SiO2 Innovates LLC/ UV One Hygienics Inc.

  • Nimith Gurijala

    • Solar GaAs/ SiO2 Innovates/ Arizona State U. Physics
    • Arizona State University

  • Nicholas T Jimenez

    • Infinitum BioMed/ SiO2 Innovates LLC/ UV One Hygienics Inc.

  • Ethan B Dancho

    • Infinitum BioMed/ SiO2 Innovates LLC/ UV One Hygienics Inc.

  • Rishabh Sreepathy

    • Infinitum BioMed/ SiO2 Innovates/ Arizona State U. Physics

  • Dora D Suppes

    • Infinitum BioMed LLC/ UV One Hygienics Inc.

  • Mark I Russell-Hill

    • Infinitum BioMed LLC/ UV One Hygienics Inc.

  • Nicole Herbots

    • Infinitum BioMed/ SiO2 Innovates/ Arizona State U. Physics