Patients who developed serious infections after undergoing an endoscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, ERCP, or other procedure involving an Olympus scope are filing lawsuits against Olympus Corporation.
Olympus Corporation, a major manufacturer of medical endoscopes, has faced years of scrutiny over concerns that certain reusable scopes may retain dangerous bacteria even after undergoing recommended cleaning and disinfection procedures.
FDA investigations reveal contamination and safety concerns
Federal investigations and medical studies have raised significant questions about the safety of certain Olympus scopes.
- A multicenter study involving 1,709 samples from Olympus duodenoscopes found that more than 5 percent of the tools tested positive for high-concern organisms following reprocessing (aka cleaning & disinfecting).
- FDA inspections at six different facilities in the United States, Japan, and Germany in October 2026 resulted in the FDA issuing a warning letter identifying manufacturing quality-control, device testing, complaint-handling, and other compliance deficiencies.
- In 2018, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation pleaded guilty to distributing misbranded medical devices after failing to report serious infections associated with its duodenoscopes to the FDA resulting in $85 million in criminal penalties.
These findings have heightened concerns about whether patients were adequately protected from infections associated with contaminated medical equipment.
Serious infections following Olympus scope procedures
Reusable medical scopes are used in numerous procedures involving the digestive tract, lungs, and other areas of the body. If a scope is not adequately cleaned and disinfected, harmful bacteria may be transmitted between patients.
Potential injuries under investigation include serious bacterial infections, antibiotic-resistant infections, sepsis, bloodstream infections, and other infections requiring hospitalization, extensive medical treatment, or death.
Alex Davis is ready to help
If you or a loved one suffered any of the above conditions (infection, antibiotic-resistant infection, sepsis, bloodstream infection, other infections, and/or wrongful death) within 30 days of a procedure involving an Olympus scope, you may be entitled to financial compensation. To review your case today, contact Alex Davis Law or call 502-882-6000 ext. 105 to schedule a free consultation.