Standardize and Containerize for Instrument Processing

Years ago, or should I say decades ago, Case Medical developed a modular reusable packaging system to organize and protect medical devices using off-the-shelf components and standardized trays. Our knowledge was gained from years of developing custom graphics trays for various medical device manufacturers on an OEM basis. We applied what we learned to help healthcare facilities de-cluttered the numerous overloaded procedure trays by reconfiguring them, and then, packaging them for sterilization and subsequent use using our own SteriTite container. In the past, custom graphics trays were only available from vendors, organized per procedure for a specific surgeon and sold or delivered as loaners to healthcare facilities for a defined amount of time, usually 24 to 48 hours. What we developed was DIN sized, ideal for loaner drop-ins, and a modular system that can be applied to any surgical specialty in the facility.

Standardization and offsite processing are becoming important issues to consider today as healthcare facilities look for cost savings and to standardize SPD practices. Offsite processing centers clean and sterilize surgical instruments off campus, helping hospitals scale, reduce costs, while freeing up hospital space for patient care, improving hospital return on investment. Nonetheless, there are challenges. These include maintaining the integrity of instruments during transportation, ensuring consistent quality across multiple facilities, and navigating complex regulatory compliance. Other issues involve the risk of damage to delicate instruments during transport, cross contamination from contaminated devices, the difficulty of standardizing processing methods across different sites and staff, and ensuring timely delivery of a necessary supply to meet hospital demands. Even under the best of circumstances, processing of reusable medical devices has been and continues to be risk prone.

Case Medical developed our MediTray modular, organizational inserts that are ideal for standardized procedure tray systems in the mid-1990s, but they are as meaningful today as they were then. Like our SteriTite containers, our inserts and trays are universally compatible with all current sterilization modalities and devices that can be sterilized. In some cases where standardization is a goal, we develop basic sets system wide for a service and provide small, containerized trays for the accessories meeting surgeon’s preference. We help to repurpose the excess instruments removed from the overloaded trays to make other sets or to replace missing instruments from existing sets. We specialize in converting wrapped loaners to containers that are now ergonomic, light weight, and easy to use for rapid turnover

At Case Medical, we develop and manufacture products directly under our roof, because we listen to your needs and challenges, and find solutions that solve the many issues you face. We might have not talked about the issue of standardized procedure trays until recently. However, we learned how overloaded trays, excessive instrumentation, offsite processing, and delayed transfer of used sets is once again a major stumbling block. Contact us today to learn more about our assessment services, universal containers, modular tray systems, and how software with digital visualization may be exactly what you need.

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Kindest Regards,

Marcia Frieze and the Case Medical team