Development of System for Managing Individual Surgical Instruments by RFID

Abstract

Among medical errors, surgery provides environments that are particularly vulnerable to malpractice and in which a single case of such malpractice could create a threat to the life of a patient. In this study, with the aim of implementing individual data management of surgical instruments using RFID tag, we developed a RFID tag that can be attached to surgical instruments. On clinical site, in order to implement individual management for surgical instruments, we focused on repeating sterilization characteristics, Durability and contamination tests during washing processes at medical site, impact resistance against falls.

As the results, there were no RFID tags that became incapable of communication or had exterior damage in the process of high-pressure steam sterilization, in the high heating challenge test, resistance to repeated impact, and the failure rate was 0%. As for the contamination test, we compared the results of luminescence test at tag attachment section with box-rock section. The results were 38.7 RLU at tag attachment section and 39.8 RLU at box-rock section. Therefore it is thought that the contamination level of tag attachment section is almost equivalent to box-rock section and we can use tag attached instruments without increasing the risk of contamination. In the conclusion, the RFID tag which has basic characteristics was indicated possibility to be able to use the clinical site.