TORONTO – Ambu Inc. has won Health Canada clearance for a flexible, single-use cystoscope for diagnosing, managing, and treating lower urinary disorders such as incontinence and bladder cancer. The disposable Ascope 4 Cysto system goes head-to-head with reusable urology scopes that must be reprocessed after each use, diminishing image quality and mechanical performance, said Jens Kemp, Ambu’s vice president of marketing for North America.

Boston Scientific Corp., of Marlborough, Mass., has won the U.S. FDA’s nod for the Exalt Model D single-use duodenoscope for use in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures. It is the first single-use duodenoscope on the market and earlier secured breakthrough device designation. “Unlike duodenoscopes that are used on multiple patients, a fully disposable duodenoscope doesn’t need to be reprocessed, eliminating the risk of potential infection due to ineffective reprocessing,” said Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.