To perform an in-vitro study of the deflection ability of three different Flexible and Navigable Suction Ureteral Access Sheaths (FANS) of two sizes each, and to compare two 7.5Fr single-use ureteroscopes in combination with different FANS under in-vitro conditions.
We studied two types of 7.5Fr single-use ureteroscopes: the Innovex Medical 7.5Fr single-use Flexible Ureterorenoscope and the Pusen Medical 7.5Fr U-Scope PRO. The six FANS used were the 10/12Fr and 11/13Fr Innovex 40 cm FANS, ClearPetra 46 cm FANS, and Reborn 40 cm FANS. Deflection angles of the ureteroscopes were measured under four different working channel conditions: empty working channel, with a 150 μm and 200 μm SOLTIVE Thulium fiber laser, and 1.9Fr Zero-Tip Nitinol Basket.
The Innovex ureteroscope had greater angles of deflection compared to the Pusen ureteroscope in all four different working channel conditions without FANS, but this was only statistically significant with an empty working channel (p = 0.02) and 200 μm fiber laser (p = 0.05). All three 10/12Fr FANS had greater deflection angles than their 11/13Fr counterparts but this was not statistically significant. When deflecting all six FANS across all working channel conditions, the Innovex ureteroscope had greater angles of deflection compared to the Pusen ureteroscope, but this was not statistically significant. The Innovex FANS showed the greatest deflection ability, followed by the ClearPetra FANS, with the Reborn FANS having the least deflection ability for both 10/12Fr and 11/13Fr FANS.
7.5Fr flexible ureteroscopes deflected FANS better when used with a 10/12Fr FANS rather than a 11/13Fr FANS. The Innovex and ClearPetra FANS performed similarly well in their deflection ability.
World journal of urology. 2025 Jul 23*** epublish ***
Yi Quan Tan, Yu Xi Terence Law, Wei Zheng So, Shu-En Rachel Lau, Jia-Lun Kwok, Ei Ei Aung Htoo, Steffi Kar Kei Yuen, Sung Yong Cho, Takaaki Inoue, Ho Yee Tiong, Bhaskar Kumar Somani, Vineet Gauhar
Department of Urology, National University Hospital, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Tower Block, Level 8, Singapore, 119228, Singapore. ., Department of Urology, National University Hospital, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Tower Block, Level 8, Singapore, 119228, Singapore., Department of Urology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore., Department of Surgery, S.H. Ho Urology Centre, The Chinese University of Hong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong., Department of Urology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea., Hara Genitourinary Hospital, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan., Department of Urology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, Southampton, UK., Division of Urology, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.