Procedure Tray Management System for Hospital Waste Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The management of procedure trays is inefficient and labor-intensive due to the large number of unique trays required by hospitals, which complicates optimization and leads to excess packaging waste and increased costs, as surgeons and nurses lack authority to directly order modifications.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and system for procedure tray management that stores tray types and associated user information in a database, allowing users to modify tray contents through a user interface, automatically suggesting changes based on templates, and electronically communicating these changes for confirmation among relevant users, thereby streamlining the optimization process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If hospitals have their own set of procedure trays with custom items, then the trays can be optimized for specific surgical procedures and user preferences, but the number of different packs increases significantly, creating a large logistic burden on suppliers for assembly, storage and distribution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomization of procedure traysVSAvoidnumber of different packs

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a modular procedure tray design where a common base tray can be configured with different item combinations to serve multiple surgical procedures and user preferences. Instead of creating entirely separate custom trays for each hospital's needs, the system allows a single universal tray platform to be adapted through software configuration and item selection, thereby reducing the total number of unique physical tray designs while maintaining customization capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Loss of substance

If procedure trays include all single use items required for a procedure, then packaging efficiency is improved, but additional individually packaged items may still be used during the procedure due to surgeon preferences or deviations, increasing cost and waste

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepackaging wasteVSAvoidflexibility to add items

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The procedure tray system implements dynamic configurability where the tray contents can be adjusted and modified based on actual surgical needs, surgeon preferences, and procedural deviations. The system allows items to be added or removed from the standardized tray configuration through a user interface, enabling the tray to adapt to changing requirements while maintaining the core benefit of reduced packaging waste from the base standardized design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Loss of energy

If optimization of procedure trays is implemented, then cost and environmental impact are reduced, but the process becomes complex and manual, involving several people at different organizational levels and physical locations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecost and environmental impactVSAvoidoptimization process

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables surgeons and operating room nurses to directly access and modify procedure tray configurations through a user-friendly interface without requiring manual intervention from procurement officers or suppliers. Users can independently identify suitable modifications, verify compatibility with existing arrangements, and implement optimized tray configurations, thereby automating the optimization process and eliminating the complex manual workflow involving multiple organizational levels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Productivity

If surgeons and nurses are given authority to directly order new trays, then optimization can be implemented faster and more efficiently, but procurement processes and authority structures must be changed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoptimization implementation speedVSAvoidprocurement authority structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces a digital intermediary platform that bridges the gap between clinical users (surgeons and nurses) and procurement processes. This platform allows clinical users to specify their tray customization needs and preferences directly, which are then automatically processed through the system to generate procurement orders. The intermediary software handles the complexity of procurement authority structures and ordering processes, enabling fast optimization implementation without requiring fundamental changes to organizational authority structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3472739B1Procedure tray management

Publication Date: 2024.07.03 MOLNLYCKE HEALTH CARE AB

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AI summary

A computer implemented method for procedure tray management, comprising storing in a database a set of procedure tray types, displaying, on a user interface, a list of procedure tray types, and displaying, in response to a user input, a list of items included in a selected procedure tray type. The method further includes automatically determining a recommended modification to the selected procedure tray type by identifying recommended item additions as items which are included in a template associated with the selected procedure tray type and not included in the selected procedure tray and electronically communicating the proposed modified procedure tray type to at least some users associated with the selected procedure tray. In response to a confirmation from at least one user the selected procedure tray type is updated in the database.