Surgical Tray Peg System for Automated Supply Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for tracking surgical supplies during procedures are inefficient and prone to errors due to the challenges of manually recording small, irregularly shaped, and harshly treated implants, as well as limitations with optical scanning technologies like barcodes and RFID in surgical environments.
Innovation Solution
A peg system with a machine-readable object and directional feature is inserted into surgical trays, allowing for real-time tracking of supply usage by reading data from the object to update counts of used supplies, protected from harsh reprocessing environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If direct part marking using barcodes on implants is used, then tracking accuracy is improved, but implementation difficulty increases due to polished stainless steel surfaces, high reflectivity, small size, irregular surfaces, and harsh reprocessing environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary labeling system (barcodes or RFID tags) that attaches to the implant or its packaging rather than directly marking the implant itself. This intermediary carrier holds the identification data and can be read by scanning devices, solving the problem of difficult direct marking on small, reflective, irregular surfaces while maintaining tracking accuracy.
2Ease of operation
If manual recording methods are used, then ease of operation is improved, but tracking speed and accuracy deteriorate due to being slow, tedious, and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical recording processes with automated optical or electromagnetic scanning systems. Barcode scanners or RFID readers automatically capture identification data from implants, eliminating the need for manual writing or data entry. This substitution dramatically increases tracking speed and accuracy while reducing human error.
3Measurement precision
If barcodes are placed on implants, then identification accuracy is improved, but readability deteriorates under bright surgical lights due to high reflectivity of polished stainless steel
Solution Approach 1:
The barcode or RFID tag is placed on an intermediary surface (packaging, tray, or protective covering) rather than directly on the reflective implant surface. This intermediary carrier provides a non-reflective surface that ensures reliable scanner readability under bright surgical lighting while maintaining accurate implant identification.
Data Source
AI summary
A peg, suitable for insertion into a hole in a surgical tray, includes a cap piece, a directional member, and a columnar protrusion. The cap piece includes a machine-readable object that contains data representing information about one or more surgical assets. The directional member has a directional feature which points in a particular direction and which may be oriented to point to one or more surgical assets having the properties represented by the data on the machine-readable object. The columnar protrusion is suitable for being securely inserted into a hole in the surgical tray, such as by being pushed into a hole in a rubber footer. Removal of a surgical asset from the tray is performed by reading data from the machine-readable object that points to the surgical asset and using that data to modify a count of the type of object contained in the tray.