Metal Detector Recovers Discarded Surgical Instruments

A new surgical instrument detector could save the medical industry a lot of money by greatly reducing the cost of replacing accidentally discarded medical instruments in the operating room (OR).

The GuardianOR is a top mounted "tilt top” style device, which is a precision discriminating metal detector complete with an audible alarm. The loop type metal detector is imbedded in the lid of a standard sized hamper stand designed to alert medical staff whenever a metal object such as a surgical instrument or a tool is accidentally discarded into medical waste receptacles or linen bags. The alarm has a variable volume range, including a muting option, as well as a visual blue light emitting diode (LED) detection indicator. By sounding an immediate alert, the staff is able to quickly retrieve the discarded instruments at the point of loss. A digital numeric counter tracks the number of detection events that pass through the detector, thereby allowing staff to easily determine the effectiveness of the detector and raising awareness to the issue, reinforcing good habits and helping in the prevention of costly surgical instruments loss.

The rechargeable Ni-MH battery pack powered detector fits snugly onto a standard PVC hamper stand-- the most commonly used stand in operating rooms--and is key-operated, preventing staff from circumventing the detector. Only supervisors, or those holding the keys, can turn the detector on or off in order to ensure monitoring of the digital counter. The GuardianOR also functions as a theft deterrent since it provides measurable accountability standards of surgical instruments to a specific OR suite. The GuardianOR is a product of Medical Cost Containment Systems (MCCS, Glendale, CA, USA; www.guardianor.com).

"The response to the product from industry professionals has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Bill Gavlak, CEO of MCCS. "Medical professionals and facility management can't wait to get them installed and are even more excited about the savings aspect.”


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Medical Cost Containment Systems