ScanCARE Blog

Introduction

Just about everyone these days wants their surgical instruments etched with 2D data matrix barcodes. There are plenty of benefits to be gained from doing so.

It speeds up the instrument assembly process and reduces the need for your people to memorise instrument names. The assembly process becomes very simple. Team members scan a barcode on an instrument and the computer tells them if it’s the right one or not and when the tray is complete.

On the 15^th December last year, a new version of AS/NZS 4187 was released. The standard is complex and there is so much to understand. There are many requirements. So what can you do to ensure your ophthalmic centre is compliant?

Previously I wrote about the new version  of AS/NZS 4187 (what it means for day surgeries and a reference table to AS4187 terminology for CDS Managers) which was released on the 15^th December last year. It has brought some very significant changes to the previous standard. In this blog post I discuss the standard's application to the reprocessing of flexible endoscopes.

The new version of AS4187 (AS/NZS 4187) released on the 15^th December last year brought some very significant changes to the previous standard. One of the most significant changes is the standards reference to Product Families.

A new version of AS/NZS 4187 was released on the 15th December last year and, given that there is a 2 year adoption period specified, office based healthcare facilities in particular need to familiairise themselves with this updated standard.

Optimising the Lifespan of Surgical Instruments

Laser etching of surgical instruments with 2D Data Matrix barcodes is increasingly being considered by healthcare facilities.  These laser markings facilitate individual level instrument tracking, quick identification and assembly of instruments sets. However studies have shown that marking of stainless steel alters the surface composition and degrades the natural passive layer resulting in a mark that is  susceptible to corrosion. When this happens, both infection control and the lifespan of your surgical instruments are compromised. Indeed stories frequently circulate through medical instrument circles about instruments rusting and needing to be destroyed.