The orthopedic implant industry has a huge field inventory management problem. The largest headache centers around “non-sterile” implants. These are implants that arrive at the hospital/surgery center non-sterilized, in a labeled package. At the facility, the implants are removed from their package and placed in a tray or a “set”, and subsequently autoclaved. These implants are often very small (think millimeter sized screws), and they lose all traceability once removed from their packaging.

Much effort has been put into applying barcodes to these often shiny, tiny implants, but the problem remains what to do with the millions of implants in the field that are unmarked, in unknown locations (hospitals, rep trunks/basements, field loaner centers, etc.). It is pretty much an impossible task to recall all of these unmarked implants, as it would cripple the ability to perform surgery. The price tag would be staggering. Who is going to pay, even it if could be accomplished?

Any existing orthopedic tray can be made ScanReady with Summate’s TAGMark technology.

There is a solution to the problem. Making the orthopedic sets (or “trays”) scannable solves this inventory challenge , and can be executed without much disruption for surgery. Smart trays, not barcodes on the individual parts, are the answer. Smart trays yield far more valuable information to device companies than individual part marking does, as the trays themselves are the cornerstone asset measurement metric the industry uses to gauge operational efficiency. Summate has pioneered “set mapping”, the process of adding intelligence to orthopedic sets and trays.

Set mapping puts a special machine-readable microchip next to each distinctive part in a tray. We then map the unique number held on this chip to our database. Every time that chip is scanned, our software knows which part was used, from which tray. Our laser scanner can be sterilized, so it can be used from the sterile field during surgery. Every time an implant is used, the operator scans the chip next to the implant, and usage is recorded.

Set mapping and intelligent trays yields far richer data than simply scanning a part. Most importantly, set mapping is inherently an “inventorying” process – to initiate set mapping is to let the software know the inventory levels of that set or tray. Current annual auditing of inventory levels in field trays is an incredibly aggravating and time-consuming process for device companies. If the sets and trays are mapped, knowing inventory is simple – just keystrokes. Our software knows the exact inventory levels of any mapped tray at any point in time. This is a revolutionary concept for field asset management.

Set mapping also delivers detailed “turn” data on the set activity in real time. This turn data is the most important metric device companies use to measure field asset allocation. In addition to turn information, set mapping can measure the revenue generation of the set to the penny, in real time.

Lastly, set mapping enables far easier auditing of orthopedic “loaner” trays. It eliminates interpretive error by introducing a “scan and count” process. Auditing errors on orthopedic loaner trays are a HUGE problem for industry.

The retail grocery industry uses a process very similar to set mapping for inventory management. Next time in the grocery store, observe the shelves that hold products. They have a tag with a barcode which correlates to the product on the shelf. This is the same concept as set mapping, and it is used for inventory management in all retail industries. “Scan and count”. Simple, easy, and accurate. The medical industry could take process efficiency lessons from the retail industry in many areas, this is a good example of one.

The answer to the difficult problem of field asset management for the device industry lies in making the sets smart, not the parts. It can be done NOW.

It is time for the orthopedic device industry to address inventory management challenges and put “Scan in the Plan” with Summate Scan Ready digital sets and trays.

Digital Orthopedic Implant Trays Solve Huge Problems For Device Industry