Differences Between Portable and Standard Veterinary Gastroscopes

Veterinary gastroscopes are divided into two main categories: portable and standard, based on usage scenarios and technical performance. Although both are used for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures on the esophagus, stomach and duodenum of animals, they differ significantly in structural design, technical parameters and applicable scenarios, which directly determine the diagnosis and treatment efficiency, applicable animal types and clinical value.

The essential difference between portable and standard veterinary gastroscopes lies in the core orientation of their design positioning: the former is centered on "portability and rapid diagnosis", while the latter focuses on "accurate diagnosis and treatment with multi-functional adaptation". The design differences of the two directly serve different clinical needs, with no absolute advantages or disadvantages, and only need to be matched with the actual diagnosis and treatment scenarios.

Portable veterinary gastroscopes are lightweight devices designed for mobile diagnosis and treatment as well as rapid screening, with the core characteristics of integration and miniaturization. They do not require a fixed operating space and can be flexibly adapted to outpatient clinics, on-site services and small-scale breeding scenarios. With a compact overall structure, they integrate the camera, light source, display screen and operating handle into one body, without the need for additional complex auxiliary equipment. They can be quickly put into use after being powered on or charged, focusing on meeting the core demand of "basic diagnosis".

Standard veterinary gastroscopes (also known as desktop veterinary gastroscopes) are modular devices designed for professional diagnosis and treatment as well as complex operations, featuring high performance and multi-functionality. They need to be used with special operating tables, high-definition displays, light source systems and auxiliary diagnostic equipment (such as peristaltic pumps and suction pumps). Their design emphasizes "accuracy" and "scalability", supporting complex therapeutic operations and adapting to the diagnosis and treatment of large animals and difficult cases. They are the core equipment of professional veterinary hospitals and large-scale animal husbandry diagnosis and treatment centers.

Technical parameters and structure are the most intuitive differences between the two, which directly affect the diagnosis and treatment effect and application scope. The following is a comparison of industry general standards, taking into account the adaptation needs of small animals (cats, small dogs) and large animals (medium and large dogs, cattle, sheep).

Portable veterinary gastroscopes: The scope body is mostly designed with a flexible small diameter, with a conventional diameter of 6-9Fr (1Fr≈0.333mm) and a length of 60-120cm, suitable for the digestive tract of small animals; some models can provide 10-12Fr large diameter versions for medium animals. The scope body is made of lightweight polymer materials, which balance flexibility and breakage resistance, with an overall light weight (≤500g) for easy handheld operation.

Standard veterinary gastroscopes: The diameter ranges from 8-16Fr (8-10Fr for small animals, 12-16Fr for large animals) and the length is 120-300cm (up to 300cm for large animals); the modular design allows for replaceable scope bodies to adapt to animals of different body types.

Portable veterinary gastroscopes: The conventional imaging resolution is 720p, and the light source is mostly an integrated LED light source with adjustable brightness, which can meet basic diagnostic needs (such as observing mucosal inflammation, foreign bodies, obvious polyps). The lens viewing angle is mostly 70°-110°, focusing on the local observation of the narrow digestive tract to reduce visual blind spots.

Standard veterinary gastroscopes: The minimum imaging resolution is 720p, and high-end models can reach 1080P. The light source is a cold light source with stable brightness and strong penetration, which can clearly identify tiny lesions (such as early mucosal tumors, subtle ulcers) and avoid missed diagnosis. The lens viewing angle (60°-140°) with a wide viewing angle is suitable for the wide digestive tract of large animals, improving the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment.

Portable veterinary gastroscopes: The operating channel is narrow, conventionally 2-3Fr, and can only be adapted to basic accessories such as small-diameter biopsy forceps and small foreign body forceps, supporting simple operations such as tissue biopsy and small foreign body removal, and cannot carry out complex treatments (such as polypectomy and hemostasis). The functional scalability is weak, and most models have no irrigation/aspiration interface, requiring additional simple flushing equipment.

Standard veterinary gastroscopes: The operating channel is wide, conventionally 3-8Fr (3-5Fr for small animals, 6-8Fr for large animals), and can be adapted to a full range of therapeutic accessories such as biopsy forceps, polypectomy loops, hemostatic clips and lithotripsy probes, supporting complex therapeutic operations such as polypectomy, hemostasis, foreign body removal and calculus comminution. Equipped with a standard irrigation/aspiration interface, it can be directly connected to a peristaltic pump (4-490mL/min for small animals) and a suction pump (up to 15L/min for large animals) to ensure a clear view for diagnosis and treatment.

Portable veterinary gastroscopes: No special auxiliary equipment is needed. The integrated design supports battery power supply (battery life of 4-6 hours) or plug-in use, with no fixed operating space requirements. It can be flexibly used in scenarios such as outpatient clinics, farm sites and on-site services, with a setup time of ≤5 minutes and a low operation threshold, which can be quickly mastered by general veterinarians.

Standard veterinary gastroscopes: Need to be used with auxiliary equipment such as special operating tables, high-definition displays, independent light sources, peristaltic pumps and suction pumps, and can only be used in fixed diagnosis and treatment spaces (such as veterinary operating rooms and diagnosis and treatment rooms) with access to a stable power supply. The setup time is 15-20 minutes, the operation requires the cooperation of professional veterinarians, and the requirements for operating skills are relatively high.

Portable veterinary gastroscopes: The scope body is mainly made of polymer materials with moderate durability, and can withstand chemical sterilization (such as glutaraldehyde immersion), but cannot be sterilized by high temperature and high pressure (to avoid material aging), suitable for low-frequency diagnosis and treatment use (≤5 cases per day on average).

Standard veterinary gastroscopes: The scope body is made of 304L medical stainless steel and high-strength optical fiber with strong durability, suitable for high-frequency diagnosis and treatment use (≥5 cases per day on average), especially for batch diagnosis and treatment in large-scale animal husbandry farms and professional veterinary hospitals, and can be repeatedly sterilized for use without material loss.

The differences in applicable scenarios between the two are the core basis for the selection of veterinary institutions, which need to be comprehensively judged in combination with their own diagnosis and treatment scope, the proportion of animal body types and the flexibility of usage scenarios to avoid mismatching between equipment and needs.

In addition to the differences in technology and scenarios, cost performance and long-term usage cost are also important references for selection, especially for primary veterinary institutions and small farms with limited budgets.

Portable veterinary gastroscopes: The upfront cost is low (about 1/3 to 1/2 of the standard type), the setup is simple without additional investment in auxiliary equipment, and the maintenance cost is low (only regular replacement of batteries and consumables is needed). However, the functions are relatively single, and if the diagnosis and treatment scope needs to be expanded for long-term use, additional equipment needs to be purchased.

Standard veterinary gastroscopes: The upfront cost is high, and additional investment in auxiliary equipment (peristaltic pumps, suction pumps, etc.) is required, with high setup and operation thresholds and moderate maintenance costs (regular replacement of accessories and equipment calibration). However, they have comprehensive functions and strong durability, can adapt to the diagnosis and treatment needs of animals of various body types and complex cases, and have higher cost performance for long-term use, especially for institutions with continuously expanding diagnosis and treatment scopes.