Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Stryker released its SurgiCount Tablet, a touch-screen interface for its SurgiCount Safety-Sponge System.
Here's what you should know.
1. The interface offers extended capabilities to track individual sponges and towels used in surgery to reduce the risk of retained sponges.
2. Retained surgical items are the highest reported "never event," with 69 percent of all retained surgical items being surgical sponges.
3. Analysts estimate providers leave 11 surgical sponges in patients on a daily basis in the United States. Those preventable events add $2.4 billion to the healthcare system.
4. The SurgiCount system identifies sponges and towels, and provides a precise, real-time count to the surgical team during a procedure.
5. The tablet has a 10-inch display with touch screen controls. It can be both pole or wall-mounted and has a slip-in battery slot for continuous operation. The tablet also has Wi-Fi capabilities and allows for secure data transfer using SurgiCount 360 software.