Q. How big of a problem are retained surgical items in patients post-surgery?
A. Studies estimate problems occur in 1 out of 1,500 intra-abdominal surgical cases each year in the United States, or 2-4 cases each year for a typical large hospital. ORLocate™ has set out to make operating rooms safer for patients, more productive for surgeons, nurses and OR managers, and less of a risk for hospital administrators.
Q. How difficult is it to integrate the new equipment into the hospital and its regular protocols?
A. ORLocate™ system was created with the perioperative procedures in mind, so its components integrate easily with equipment that is already a standard. The system is also intuitive, easy to learn, to use and to manage.
Q. What is radio-frequency identification (RFID)? How does it work?
A. RFID technology reliably detects tagged items so that they can be located, tracked and monitored over a specified distance without requiring line of sight. ORLocate™ system uses "passive” RFID tags (that do not contain a power source) to identify uniquely each sponge and surgical instrument during their entire lifecycle.
Q. Is ORLocate™ system safe?
A. ORLocate™ follows the World Health Organization’s Guidelines for safely using low
electromagnetic field exposure. The system has received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and also received the CE certification. Haldor Advanced Technologies has developed an embedding and encapsulating method that uses biocompatible materials to allow the RFID tags on the sponges and instruments to work with metal, heat or body fluids.
Q. Can ORLocate™ RFID tags be added to any surgical instrument?
A. The RFID tag can be attached to any instrument with a 3 mm flat surface. ORLocate™ affixes the tags to instruments securely and in a place and position that will not impact how instruments are routinely held or manipulated. The tags are secured in a way that will withstand sterilization, liquid and metal environments for the instrument's lifecycle.
Q. Can tags even be added to very small instruments like neuro-sponges or needles?
A. No, some instruments are too small to be used with a tag affixed. However, the ORLocate™ system accommodates these items by providing a feature that enables integrating the manual count, tracking and reconciling these items with the other tagged items.
Q. Do instruments and sponges have to be purchased for the system from Haldor Advanced Technology?
A. No, Haldor can attach the RFID tags to the current hospital or surgical center’s existing instruments on site using a mobile retrofit laboratory or, alternatively, at Haldor's local certified labs. Hospitals may continue to work with their current sponge suppliers to order RFID-tagged sponges.
Q. Will instrument makers be able to attach ORLocate™ tags directly to new instruments at the point of manufacture?
A. The ORLocate™ tags are unique but can be placed on instruments by the manufacturers if they are certified and authorized by Haldor Advanced Technologies under license, strictly conforming to the ISO 15693 standard.
Q. How does the presence of ORLocate™ RFID tags impact current sterilization practices?
A. ORLocate™ tags do not impact sterilization or limit any current practices. Haldor Advanced Technologies has developed durable and resistant tags that can withstand extreme sterilization temperatures and conditions.
Q. Is there a limit to the number of instruments on the Mayo Tray or Back Tray?
A. The ORLocate™ system's Mayo Tray and Back Tray can accommodate commonly used volumes of instruments in a range of surgical procedures.