The systems use radio frequency identification chip-embedded sponges to count and locate sponges during surgery which, in turn, helps eliminate surgical errors and improve patient safety. According to the release, hospitals spend an average of $63,000 on follow-up operation expenses to retrieve sponges left in patients.
Each sponge has its own ID number coded in its RFID tag, which is read and recorded by the SmartSponge System as it comes out of its packaging in the OR, is used in the patient and is removed and disposed of. Both the SmartSponge and SmartWand-DTX count multiple sponges and read through blood and tissue, and they can locate a missing tagged sponge using radio waves to signal the RFID tag to identify itself, according to the release.
Read the Medline release about the SmartWand and SmartSponge systems.
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