A retained sponge incident can lead to serious complications, including sepsis, unnecessary x-rays, need for repeat surgeries and even death. David Palmer, ClearCount’s president & CEO, claims SmartSponge is the first radio frequency identification (RFID) system that detects and counts surgical sponges and towels during surgical procedures.
With an estimated 3,000-5,000 incidents a year, retained surgical sponges are a considerable problem. The SmartSponge System can improve patient safety and efficiency by alerting staff when there is a missing sponge, Mr Palmer said.
The SmartSponge System uses Texas Instruments’s Tag-it HF-I portfolio of high-frequency products to automate the process of managing surgical sponges during surgery. The sponges are permanently affixed with passive RFID tags.
Steve Fleck, co-founder and chief technology officer at ClearCount, said, Unlike other technologies, ClearCount’s RFID-based SmartSponge System allows users to simultaneously count and differentiate between types of sponges. Additionally, since RFID does not require a line-of-sight between the reader and tags, there is no need to physically separate sponges or orient the tags in any way to scan them. This minimizes the handling of soiled sponges by nursing staff.
Current procedures for tracking instruments and sponges involve a baseline count before surgery begins, a second count before the surgeon begins sewing the incision, a third count at wound closure and a final count before closing the skin. ClearCount says that this manual process is time-consuming and subject to human error.
ClearCount expects to make available a commercial solution that fully integrates into the current workflow of the operating room by the end of this year.
