Track & trace medical instruments

The Reinier de Graaf Gasthuis was the first hospital in the world to test real-time tracking of surgical instruments using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips during the surgical procedure.

Impact

Societal: Registering the instrument used in the operating room (OR) and mapping the patterns in it will improve OR processes. This improves patient safety and patient care.
Economic: Improving processes in an operating room reduces costs and increases patient safety. The RFID chips minimize the chance that expensive surgical instruments will not be available or deployed at the right time.
Scientific: The results of this research have been published (see this link)

Project

Testing took place at the Medical Delta Research OR. With the test results, the use of RFID chips in operating rooms could be further developed by the company Van Straten Medical.

Duration

From 2017 to 2019

Project size (€ and grants)

The project was funded by Phoenix Foundation and health insurer DSW (€ 90k)

Partners

Company: Van Straten Medical;
Care institution: Reinier de Graaf Gasthuis;
Knowledge institution: TU Delft

More information

More information can be found here