Oct 8 2010
The U.S. scientists could identify that the radio-frequency chips integrated in surgical sponges can lower the number of surgical sponges that remain in the operated patients.
According to the surgeons at University of North Carolina, the tags can be deployed in X-ray identification technique and in non-automated counting methods to enhance the security of the patients.
Dr. Christopher Rupp, a gastrointestinal surgeon at UNC stated that the sponges which remain inside the body after operations will cause infections due to its erosion into the intestines resulting in acute pain.
In order to overcome this issue, the novel technology utilizes a rod which is moved through the body of the patients to capture the readings from the radio-frequency chips present in any retained sponge inside the body. Some novel technologies employ sensor embedded mats to track the tagged sponges.
The researchers at UNC utilized chip-enabled sponges in 1,600 operations and identified a sponge in a methodology in which the labor counting of sponges was presumably appropriate.
Rupp commented that the RF technique will not dominate the sponge counting procedures in the operation theatre instead can be deployed as a supplement since it ensures safety.
Source: http://www.unc.edu