As regulatory standards evolve and infection prevention becomes increasingly outcome-driven, healthcare organizations are re-examining every phase of endoscope reprocessing. The revised AAMI/ANSI ST91:2021 standard reinforces a critical insight: effective drying and controlled storage are as essential to patient safety as disinfection.
In this post we will explore why regulatory standards are focusing in endoscope drying and patient safety and how you can stay compliant.
Reframing Endoscope Drying as a Risk-Control Strategy
Endoscope reprocessing has long emphasized manual cleaning and high-level disinfection. However, emerging clinical evidence confirms that residual moisture can allow microbial colonization, including biofilm formation, even after thorough disinfection. This insight has led to elevated attention to the drying and storage phases - steps that now carry explicit expectations in the updated ST91 standard.
Key Requirements Under ST91:2021
- Internal channels must be flushed with forced, pressure-regulated filtered air—either instrument-grade or HEPA-filtered—for a minimum of 10 minutes
- Positive pressure cabinets must maintain continuous airflow to prevent environmental contamination
- Visible moisture is no longer tolerable; scopes must be visibly dry prior to storage
These expectations are not abstract recommendations - they reflect the consensus of infection prevention authorities and align with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s guidance on endoscope safety protocols.
Building Standardization into the Endoscope Drying Process
While disinfection workflows have matured through years of standardization and training, drying practices have varied widely across care settings, often depending on available infrastructure or manual processes. The ST91 revision creates an opportunity to bring drying protocols up to the same level of repeatability and assurance.
How TruAir™ Helps Facilities Operationalize Compliance
To support changing regulatory standards, Capsa Healthcare developed the TruAir™ Endoscope Drying and Storage Cabinet - a system that transforms drying from a variable task into a consistent, compliant, and documentable process. TruAir™ helps healthcare teams meet ST91 with confidence, without adding friction to existing workflows.
TruAir™ Cabinets are engineered to support this shift with precision:
- Pressure-regulated drying modules deliver consistent airflow into internal scope channels, supporting full lumen dryness within the mandated timeframe
- Sealed, HEPA-filtered environments eliminate risk of airborne contamination, even in high-traffic reprocessing areas
- Positive pressurization with automated airflow cycles ensures scopes remain protected long after reprocessing ends
- Built-in tracking and compliance verification streamline reporting and support audit-readiness
Together, these engineering features move drying and storage from guesswork to standardized practice—ensuring each scope that enters service is safe, dry, and patient-ready.
Strategic Endoscope Storage Deployment Without Workflow Disruption
Endoscope storage upgrades are often viewed as capital-intensive or logistically complex. But Capsa’s approach prioritizes scalable integration that works with your existing resources and reprocessing layout.
Facilities can begin with a phased deployment model - focusing on high-throughput units or flagged compliance gaps - and gradually expand coverage. TruAir™ Cabinets are available in a range of form factors and drying capacities, enabling right-sized selection based on procedure volume, scope inventory, and spatial constraints.
Placement also matters. TruAir™ units are designed for positioning outside splash zones, reducing the risk of recontamination from nearby sinks or basins - an important consideration in busy sterile processing departments.
Endoscope Storage Compliance That Pays Off
The benefits of compliant endoscope drying and storage are measurable, not just regulatory:
- Reduced maintenance and repair costs, thanks to drier scopes and lower fluid-related damage
- Improved scope availability, with fewer delays from incomplete drying
- Enhanced audit-readiness, with documentation features that support infection control protocols and accreditation needs
- Stronger patient safety outcomes, as drying protocols become reliable and repeatable across every shift
In short, a purpose-built solution like TruAir™ protects more than your scopes - it protects your patients, your staff, and your operating margin.
Partner with CME for TruAir™ Endoscope Drying and Storage Cabinets
As the United States’ largest specialty distributor solely focused on equipment used in healthcare, we have built long standing relationships with industry leading manufacturers like Capsa Healthcare.
Whether you are initiating your ST91 compliance journey or refining an existing program, CME and Capsa can help. Our expert account managers will work with you and Capsa representatives to help you upgrade your endoscope cabinets with scalable integration or design a new system tailored to your needs - so you remain in compliance with evolving regulatory standards.
Direct-To-Site Logistics and Delivery Services
In addition to delivering your TruAir™ endoscope drying and storage cabinets assembled when it is convenient for staff, our in-house Direct-to-Site services teams will also deliver healthcare equipment to the service location in the facility so they are ready for immediate use.
Click CHAT to start the conversation about your endoscopy drying and storage cabinet needs.
Find your account manager and learn how CME can help you equip your facility with the endoscope drying and storage you need to remain in compliance with evolving regulatory standards and keep you in budget.
About Capsa Healthcare: Capsa Healthcare develops collaborative partnerships with providers across the healthcare continuum to design and implement solutions that address critical needs in hospital, acute care, extended care, and pharmacy operations. Their products span an array of use cases, including technology and equipment storage and mobility, medication management, and pharmacy automation. At the center of Capsa’s mission is a deeply held conviction that healthcare should be focused on patients. Every solution and product design is intended to help providers deliver effective care.
About CME: CME Corp is the nation’s premier source for healthcare equipment, layout and design, turnkey logistics, delivery, installation, and biomedical services. We represent 2 million+ products from more than 2,000 manufacturers. With offices and warehousing coast to coast, our mission is to help healthcare facilities nationwide reduce the cost of the equipment they purchase, make their equipment specification, delivery, installation, and maintenance processes more efficient, and help them seamlessly launch, renovate and expand on schedule.
