Preliminary experience of a prototype forward-viewing curved linear array echoendoscope in a training phantom model

Abstract

Oblique-viewing curved linear array (OV-CLA) echoendoscopes have been widely used to perform endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration and interventional endoscopic ultrasonography. Recently a prototype forward-viewing curved liner array (FV-CLA) echoendoscope was developed. In the present trial, 11 endoscopists participated in a hands-on trial and a questionnaire survey to evaluate the operation performance and visualization performance of a prototype FV-CLA scope in a phantom model designed for training of endoscopic ultrasonography. The results of our trial suggested that the FV-CLA scope is slightly inferior or equivalent to the conventional OV-CLA scope in operation performance, and that the FV-CLA scope is equivalent to the OV-CLA scope with regard to the visualization performance in a phantom model.