The SmartSponge, the world’s first radio frequency-tagged surgical sponge, received FDA approval this month, paving the way for the Carnegie Mellon start-up to hire engineers in the near future.
The technology, developed by ClearCount Medical Solutions, tackles the pervasive problem of lost surgical sponges in the operating room—tiny pieces that are sometimes left behind in patients. By sewing tiny, radiofrequency identification (RFID) tags into the sponges, nursing staff can track and store information on their whereabouts through a sophisticated radio signal from a scanner wand.
RFID does not require line-of-sight between reader and tags, which minimizes the handling of soiled sponges by nursing staff. The system replaces the time-consuming method of manually counting the sponges several times during a procedure. The technology is similar to that used to prevent clothing from being shoplifted from retail stores.
“We are optimistic the SmartSponge™ System will address the pervasive problem of retained surgical sponges, says David Palmer, ClearCount’s CEO and president. “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.”
ClearCount hopes to equip other surgical equipment with the chip technology in the future.
Writer: Debra Diamond Smit
Source: Lynn Brusco, ClearCount, Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse
Image courtesy of ClearCount