NXP Technology Aids “No Sponge Left Behind” in Surgical Procedures

RFID-based SmartSponge System helps prevent retained foreign objects in surgical patients NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ: NXPI), the RFID leader for multiapplications, announced that ClearCount Medical Solutions has selected NXP RFID solutions to enable its SmartSponge? System. The SmartSponge System can easily and accurately detect and account for surgical sponges placed in a patient’s body when undergoing surgery, so that no items are “left behind,” thus improving patient safety. The SmartSponge System is comprised of RFID-enabled surgical sponges; an embedded RFID readerwithin a user-friendly automated software accounting system; an accompanying SmartWand to detectsponges accidently retained within the body; and a smart disposal system to account for discardedsponges. David Palmer, CEO of ClearCount, said: “Our SmartWand-DTX and SmartSponge System, the first Foodand Drug Administration-cleared RFID-based platform for the operating room, can help save patientsfrom serious complications that can arise when surgical sponges are left behind. Our solutions alsoprovide renewed confidence – for doctors, hospitals and insurance agencies – that they are providing thehighest level of patient safety.” The incidence of retained foreign objects (RFOs) in surgical patients is difficult to estimate, partly becausethey can remain in the body undetected for years. A 2008 study published in The Journal of the AmericanCollege of Surgeons reported that foreign objects were left behind in 1 out of every 5,500 surgicalprocedures. In abdominal surgeries, retained foreign objects are estimated to occur in one out of every1,000 to 1,500 surgical procedures. Surgical sponges are widely reported to be the most common RFO, because they can be difficult tovisually detect once they are saturated in blood. A landmark article in The New England Journal of Medicine reported that sponges accounted for 69 percent of the retained foreign objects studied. Further,even when counts of sponges and other surgical instruments had been performed, 88 percent of casesinvolved a final count that had been falsely thought to be correct. In complex, time-critical operations,especially where multiple surgeons are involved, the possibility of retained foreign surgical devices withinthe patient is unfortunately a reality, and the results can be life-threatening. Victor Vega, RFID marketing director, NXP Semiconductors, said: “Surgical sponges could be countedmanually or with the assistance of a barcode reader, but neither of these methods is able to identify anyblood-soaked sponges that are hidden in the body. NXP’s RFID-based system enhances accountabilitywith a unique read before, during and after the surgery, which dramatically improves accuracy as well aspatient safety.” Each surgical SmartSponge is uniquely identifiable with a serial number that can be acquired wirelessly,even if accidently left within the body, by waving the SmartWand over the patient. RFID-enabledSmartSponges are packaged in pre-defined quantities. As the package is waved over an RFID reader,the unique serial numbers of the SmartSponges are read and the system ensures a match with the predeterminedpackage count. A SmartBucket? configured with an RFID reader enables the ClearCountsystem to directly account for and reconcile all sponges entering into and exiting the sterile field. As finalassurance, the SmartWand is used to scan the patient to ensure no sponges are left inside of the patient. Further information, a demo and samples of the SmartSponge System will be available at the NXP booth204 at RFID Journal LIVE! 2011 in Orlando, Florida, April 12 to 14. For a video of the SmartSponge System, visit http://youtu.be/EYZeydOGSLI

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