Ambu Receives CE Mark for aScope™ Gastro Large with 4.2mm Working Channel

Ambu announces European release of a new larger-sized gastroscopy solution, the Ambu® aScope™ Gastro Large and Ambu® aBox™ 2, hereby expanding the company’s offering in gastroenterology (GI).

The solution has been designed and tested in close collaboration with leading GI experts and addresses a target expansion of +1.5 million annual procedures. It is the world’s first gastroscope with a 4.2 mm working channel, meaning that gastroenterologists will experience the needed powerful suction performance of a therapeutic gastroscope, while also obtaining the manoeuvrability and precision of a standard gastroscope, hereby facilitating access to difficult-to-reach anatomical areas.

Compared to the latest 3.7 mm therapeutic gastroscope on the market, the working channel of the Ambu® aScope™ Gastro Large delivers signi­ficantly higher suction performance1, both with and without tools. Subsequently, it constitutes a valuable tool during upper GI procedures in the ICU and endoscopy unit, such as bleed management, necrosectomy and stent placement procedures, which require a large working channel and powerful suction ability.

The immediate availability of a single-use therapeutic gastroscope eliminates potential procedural delays in acute procedures, while the expanded working channel offers increased suctioning and flexibility in interventions. Furthermore, the adoption of bioplastics not only represents a step forward in sustainable healthcare but also positions Gastro Large at the forefront of responsible medical device innovation, commented PROF. DR. MED. HELMUT MESSMANN, Director of the Department of Internal Medicine at University Hospital of Augsburg, Germany.

Furthermore, the larger-sized gastroscope is supported by the endoscopy system, Ambu® aBox™ 2, thus com­bining the availability, portability and convenience of single-use with the power of Ambu’s ecosystem software platform, which also supports the Ambu® aScope™ Gastro and Ambu’s full Ambu® aScope™ 5 Broncho endoscope portfolio.

Another prominent feature of the Ambu® aScope™ Gastro Large is the fact that it is the world’s first endoscope manufactured with bioplastic materials. Concretely, the material in the scope handle is derived from second-generation feedstock, e.g., recycled food waste, ensuring a notably lower carbon footprint.

Ambu is committed to sustainable endoscopy through circular products and packaging. As part of the company’s sustainability targets, it is planning to pave the way for the use of bioplastics in all of its future endoscope handles. The launch of the aScope™ Gastro Large marks the first step on this journey, to which CEO Britt Meelby Jensen says:

“As a single-use endoscopy company, we believe that applying sustainable practices is both an obligation and an opportunity to lead by example. Being the first company in the world to bring an endoscope made with bioplastics to customers is not only a milestone for Ambu – it is a significant step forward within the industry, on the road to positive change.”

BRITT MEELBY JENSEN, Chief Executive Officer, Ambu