Partnership Offers Automatic Tracking of Implantable Devices

A recently formed technology collaboration will offer fully automated tracking of high value inventory, including tissue and implantable devices.

The partnership, between Terso Solutions (Madison, WI, USA), which provides radio frequency identification (RFID) enclosures such as cabinets, freezers, and refrigerators, and Champion Medical Technologies (Lake Zurich, IL, USA), which supplies tissue graft and medical device storage, distribution, and tracking programs, will provide real-time inventory transactions, providing hospitals with a seamless storage and tracking solution. The combined solution uses secure access control and RFID to automatically capture and process each inventory transaction in real time.

The Champion Medical Technologies software programs include the GraftTracker tissue tracking software and the UDITracker implant tracking software, while the Terso Solutions RFID enclosures utilize swipe, grab, and go technology, which significantly reduces implant retrieval time from storage to operating room (OR). The system also provides continous temperature monitoring for sensitive tissue implants and automates recall investigations, increasing patient safety and reducing liability to hospitals. Hospital costs also decrease due to reduced waste and easier reconciliation processes.

“Champion's UDITracker is transforming how the medical industry tracks high value inventory,” said Joe Pleshek, president and CEO of Terso Solutions. “By integrating Terso's RFID enabled enclosures into this solution we eliminate the need for manual data entry and add product security, integrity tracking, and chain of custody. We are extremely excited about what this brings to the market.”

“With the FDA's recent announcement of the proposed unique device identification rule we are excited to offer an automated solution to hospital staff as they look to fulfill the objectives of this initiative,” said Peter Casady, president and CEO of Champion Medical Technology. “With the versatility of Terso's storage solutions our customers will focus less on paperwork and more on patient care.”

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed unique device identification (UDI) system, intended to reduce errors due to misuse of devices, allow for more accurate reporting of adverse effects from medical devices, improve recalls of products, and standardize dates listed on medical device labels. The UDI rule states that the lot or batch number, serial number, expiration or manufacture date, and information about the model and labeler must be marked in both plain text and via a bar code on the label of most medical devices.

Implantable devices, devices meant for multiple use, devices that must be sterilized before each use, and standalone software must contain the required information on the device itself rather than on the label. Class I and over-the-counter devices would not be required to include UDI. Most of that information will also be included in a publicly accessible database to be created by FDA.

Related Links:
Terso Solutions
Champion Medical Technologies