SURGICAL SPONGE INCORPORATING RFID TECHNOLOGY AND METHOD OF USE
First Claim
1. A surgical item comprising:
- a surgical sponge for use during surgical procedures; and
a RFID transponder integrated within said sponge, said RFID transponder capable of functioning after enduring fluids, including blood and other bodily fluids.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical sponge with an integrated RFID transponder is disclosed. A laundry RFID transponder integrated between layers of the sponge provides means for surgical personnel to verify with a RFID reader that all such sponges have been removed from a patient'"'"'s body prior to an incision being closed or from a body cavity without an incision. The RFID reader may also be used post closure to re-verify that no such sponges have been inadvertently closed within the patient. A system may include a storage means and associated display device to allow for easy and convenient verification that all sponges made available for a particular surgery have all been accounted for prior to the surgical incision being closed.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A surgical item comprising:
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a surgical sponge for use during surgical procedures; and a RFID transponder integrated within said sponge, said RFID transponder capable of functioning after enduring fluids, including blood and other bodily fluids. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A surgical system comprising:
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a surgical sponge; a laundry RFID transponder integrated between two layers of the sponge; and a RFID reader operable to identify the RFID transponder. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A surgical method comprising:
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performing a surgical procedure requiring an incision, closing of the incision and the use of one or more surgical sponges; completing the surgical procedure except for closing the incision; using a RFID reader to confirm that each of the one or more sponges is outside of a patient'"'"'s body; and closing the incision. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11-12. -12. (canceled)
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13. A method of tracking surgical sponges, comprising:
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integrating a RFID transponder into a plurality of surgical sponges; recording use of the sponges by reading a transponder signal and transmitting the use of the sponges to a storage means and associated display device; after need for the sponges has ceased, removing the sponges and recording non-use of the sponges by reading the transponder signal and transmitting its non-use of the sponges to the storage means and associated display device; and comparing the use data of the sponges with the non-use data of the sponges to confirm that all used sponges have been identified and removed from the patient. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A system for tracking surgical sponges comprising:
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one or more surgical sponges, each one or more sponge including a RFID transponder; a RFID scanner or reader operable to identify each sponge by reading a RFID transponder associated with the sponge; and a storage device for recording the identification acquired by the RFID scanner or reader. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification