Rethinking Endoscopies for a More Limited Environmental Impact
Millions of endoscopic surgical procedures are performed around the world every year. In this technique, a flexible tube with a camera and small surgical instruments is inserted through a natural body canal, which makes surgery possible without incisions. However, the complex construction of traditional endoscopes means that it is difficult to completely disinfect them, with the result that single-use endoscopes are increasingly used. While these offer better protection against the risks of infection, they generate a significant amount of medical waste at the same time.
The EcoEndo project, led by the Ecole polytechnique de Bruxelles (BEAMS department - Université libre de Bruxelles, ULB) in collaboration with the technological innovation centre Sirris, is looking to tackle this problem. By fundamentally rethinking the design of endoscopes, it is aiming to reduce the environmental impact without sacrificing safety or hygiene.
This project is part of the strategy of the FPS Public Health to support the circular transition through the "Belgium Builds Back Circular" (BBBC) programme. The programme simulates initiatives aimed at optimising the use of materials and components throughout their life cycle. The ecological design of endoscopes is also aligned with the broader goal of reducing plastic waste and greenhouse gas emissions within the healthcare industry, including by reducing the use of single-use medical devices.
Air as an Ally: Toward a Smaller Ecological Footprint of Medical Devices
The thrust of the innovation within the EcoEndo project is the use of air pressure to operate the endoscopic device. Flexible structures replace traditional, complex and difficult to disassemble cables. This approach makes assembly mores simple, reduces the number of parts and promotes recycling. For example, the parts for attaching the end of the endoscope are light, with a simple design. This not only saves material, but also makes the recycling process easier, all without sacrificing medical performance. Smart pressure control and the innovative use of materials also mean that the eco-endoscope can be adapted to the needs of the procedure, with a tube that becomes more flexible or firmer as required.
These materials are also compatible with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) devices, helping to make the position more visible in the body, thereby making medical procedures more accurate. By moving away from traditional single-use endoscopes, this project is demonstrating that it is possible to make medical devices more sustainable without compromising the quality of care.
From Disposable to Sustainable: Rethinking, Reusing, Recycling
By redesigning the endoscope as a system with interchangeable modules, EcoEndo is transforming a traditionally single-use product into a partially reusable tool that is easier to recycle. The handle, which contains the electronic components and does not come into contact with the patient's body, is removable and reusable, thereby significantly reducing the amount of medical waste. The tube is easier to disinfect and can be recycled if necessary.
The project also uses life cycle assessment (LCA) tools to assess the environmental impact of traditional technologies and prototypes under development, to optimise the choice of materials and processes and enjoy maximum environmental benefit. Moreover, physical prototypes have been kept to a minimum thanks to the development of advanced simulation tools. This saves time and resources and helps make the results reproducible for other research groups or medical device manufacturers.
To turn an ecologically designed product into a truly sustainable solution, large-scale production is both necessary and needs to be economically feasible. Alain Delchambre, coordinator of the EcoEndo project, explains: "When several solutions are possible, you choose the one with the smallest environmental impact which is economically the most suitable for industrial production". The partnership with Sirris plays a crucial role in this regard: from the outset, each component was designed to be efficiently produced on a large scale, in collaboration with carefully selected industrial partners.
Europe, a Partner in Circular Innovation
Thanks to financial support from the BBBC Fund, financed by the European financial instrument Next Generation EU, EcoEndo was able to translate an innovative idea into a functional prototype. This support accelerated the design process and helped cover the project's development costs. In addition, this funding made a strategic collaboration with Sirris possible. This collaboration is critical to coordinate the design with the possibility of large-scale production straight away, which is usually not feasible within the confines of traditional academic funding. Finally, in consultation with healthcare professionals, a user interface very similar to that of existing devices is being developed. The aim is to ensure that the medical sector can smoothly integrate this ecologically designed technology into everyday operations.
