Gastrointestinal endoscopy company Pentax Medical has obtained Health Canada license for its Pentax RetroView Colonoscope (EC-3490TLi), designed for use in diagnostic colonoscopy procedures for colorectal cancer screening and therapeutic colonoscopy procedures such as endoscopic polypectomy.

The pediatric size (11.6mm) colonoscope, which the company claims to be the first high defintion video colonoscope with an enhanced retroflex bending section, features a 210 degree tip angulation and shorter bending section (9.0cm length) that reduces the retroflex position diametre by 25%, compared to the company’s EC-3490Li pediatric colonoscope.

Compatible with the Pentax HD+ line of processors, EC-3490TLi also includes Pentax HD+ image quality, 3.2mm instrument channel, 4-way tip angulation and forward viewing and 140° field-of-view optics.

EC-3490TLi offers greater maneuverability which provides the potential for visualization of more hidden polyps and easier access to the distal side of polyps, claims the company.

Pentax Medical president David Woods said, "We are excited about this product’s potential impact on advancing both meaningful clinical care and hospital efficiency."

The company said the pediatric sized colonoscope, which is launched in select European and Asian markets, will soon be available in the US and Latin America.