Reusable Scanning Device Detects Surgical Sponges

A handheld scanning wand issues audible and visual alerts that signal the presence of any objects fitted with a proprietary radio frequency (RF) tag left in the surgical field.

The Blair-Port Wand, part of the RFDetect surgical sponge detection system, is a reusable scanning device used for detecting micro RF tags embedded in a variety of surgical gauze, sponges and towels. Before starting closing procedures in the operating room (OR), the wand, which is connected to a compact, self-calibrating console, is used to scan the surgical patient; if any RF tagged objects remain in the patient, the signals will alert the surgical team to remove it. The detection wand can be reused for multiple surgical cases over a 24-hour operational lifecycle, while consistently maintaining an accurate detection and scanning range, even in high body mass index (BMI) patients. Additionally, in situations where the patient is cleared, but the surgical count is off, the wand can also be used to scan the room to quickly detect and locate the missing object. The tag used in RFDetect disposables is only 4 mm x 12 mm, and is less expensive than RFID-based chips, which need to be scanned prior to use. The RFDetect micro tag fits unobtrusively in prepackaged gauze and sponges, including those used in minimally invasive and OB procedures. The RF Surgical Detection System and the Blair-Port Wand are products of RF Surgical Systems (Bellevue, WA, USA), and have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"We are pleased to provide hospitals with an additional incentive to adopt the RF Surgical Detection System in their operating rooms,” said Gary Blackbourn, vice president of sales and marketing at RF Surgical Systems. "Given that RFDetect tagged sponges are less expensive than those used by competitive counting systems and that our RF Surgical Detection Consoles are provided free of charge, the RF Surgical Detection System offers even more clear-cut advantages to hospitals in terms of cost, accuracy and ease-of-use.”

Gossypiboma, the technical term for a surgical sponge accidentally left inside a patient's body, is derived from the Latin "gossypium" (cotton) and the Swahili "boma" (place of concealment). These retained surgical sponges are an acute medical risk to the patient and result in costly re-operative expenses, legal battles, and a compromised hospital reputation. The current method of manually counting surgical disposables before and after a surgery is subject to human error; when the counts do not match, which may occur in up to 10% of surgical cases, the OR personnel must sort through mounds of used and unused sponges and then wait for an X-ray prior to completing the surgical procedure and closing the patient.

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