RFID-Enabled Surgical Suture Needles for Accurate Counting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical suture needles are difficult to track and count accurately due to their small size and metal composition, which interferes with wireless communication signals, leading to high rates of unresolved surgical counts.
Innovation Solution
Equipping suture needles with radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips and antennas that allow for wireless communication, enabling tracking, counting, and location through RFID technology, with optional RF lucent materials to enhance signal transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If suture needles are made of traditional metal composition, then they provide necessary mechanical strength and durability, but they interfere with wireless communication signals making tracking impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an RFID tag as an intermediary component attached to or integrated with the suture needle. This tag contains an antenna and circuitry that can be interrogated by external readers, serving as a mediator between the metal needle and the tracking system. The RFID tag enables wireless communication without requiring the needle itself to transmit signals, thus resolving the signal interference problem while maintaining tracking capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction by combining traditional metal needle components with non-metallic RFID tag components (antenna, circuit board, encapsulation material). This composite approach allows the needle to retain its mechanical properties while the RFID tag portion uses materials that do not interfere with electromagnetic fields, enabling simultaneous fulfillment of mechanical and tracking requirements
2Length of moving object
If suture needles are made smaller for surgical precision, then they enable finer surgical work, but they become increasingly difficult to track and count
Solution Approach 1:
The RFID tag acts as a detectable intermediary that is proportionally scaled with the needle size. Even as needles become smaller, the attached RFID tag provides a consistent electromagnetic signature that can be detected by external readers, making the tracking difficulty independent of needle size. The tag's electromagnetic field serves as a scalable detection mechanism that works equally well for small and large needles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical tracking methods (visual inspection, physical counting) with electromagnetic field-based RFID detection. This substitution allows tracking to occur without direct visual contact or physical manipulation of the needle, enabling accurate detection of even very small needles through their electromagnetic signature rather than their physical dimensions
3Device complexity
If manual counting protocols are used for surgical needles, then no additional technology is required, but human error leads to incorrect surgical counts
Solution Approach 1:
The RFID tracking system provides continuous feedback about needle location and status to the surgical team. External readers automatically detect and report the presence, location, and movement of needles equipped with RFID tags, creating a closed-loop feedback system that eliminates reliance on manual counting. This automated feedback mechanism provides real-time verification and reduces human error in surgical counts
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID-tagged needles essentially self-report their presence and location through automatic detection by external readers. The system requires minimal human intervention as needles passively provide their identification information when interrogated, allowing the tracking system to serve itself without requiring manual counting or active participant effort from surgical staff
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates accurate inventory, counting, and location of suture needles, reducing human error in surgical counts and enhancing safety by ensuring all needles are accounted for during procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The RFID chip includes an electromagnetic coupling element. At least one of the needle body and the suture thread is an antenna selectively electromagnetically coupled to the RFID chip
Data Source
AI summary
A suture needle apparatus includes a needle body and a radio-frequency identification (“RFID”) chip disposed proximate to the needle body. The RFID chip is encoded with an identifying information associated with the suture needle apparatus. The RFID chip includes an electromagnetic coupling element. A suture thread is operatively coupled to the needle body. At least one of the needle body and the suture thread is an antenna selectively electromagnetically coupled to the RFID chip and, when coupled, is configured to wirelessly communicate the identifying information responsive to radio-frequency interrogation of the suture needle apparatus. A method of providing a suture needle apparatus is also disclosed.