San Francisco, Calif November 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Sharp Fluidics, LLC announced that its Operative Armour® suture needle management system has received an Innovative Technology contract from Vizient, Inc., the largest member-driven health care performance improvement company in the country. The contract was recommended by hospital experts in this category who serve on one of Vizient’s member-led councils.
The Operative Armour System enables surgeons to self-dispense and self-secure their own suture needles without scrub tech assistance, minimizing exposure to contaminated suture needles and improving operating room workflows. By eliminating the handling and passage of exposed contaminated suture needles between OR staff, the potential for needle sticks and dropped needles is greatly reduced. The scrub tech, being freed from the closure process, can now perform counts without distraction.
The Operative Armour System features a proprietary Needle Trap that enables dispensing and safe securement of multiple suture needles in a transparent housing that allows for easy visual needle count reconciliation. The Needle Trap is compatible with all off-the-shelf suture needles and can be attached to a surgeon’s forearm or wrist or mounted on the surgical drape. “We are thrilled to be working with Vizient members to address two critical issues in healthcare today: the contaminated needle stick hazard and OR turnover time,” said Douglas Rimer, president of Sharp Fluidics. “Unlike many safety innovations that slow down a process, we believe our system will significantly improve safety and speed up workflow as it is adopted in ORs throughout the country. We are honored that it has been recognized by Vizient for its innovation,” he remarked.
“Due to the number of products and services being released and marketed as ‘innovative’, member hospitals truly value the thorough review process in place at Vizient to help them identify products worth further evaluation at their own facilities,” said Debbie Archer, Director of procurement and leader of Vizient’s Innovative Technology program for suppliers. “After a review of the Operative Armour® suture needle management system, Vizient’s member council agreed this solution offers unique and incremental benefit over other products available on the market today, and recommended it for an Innovative Technology contract. We are pleased to award this new contract to Sharp Fluidics.”
About Vizient
Vizient represents a diverse membership base that includes academic medical centers, pediatric facilities, community hospitals, integrated health delivery networks and non-acute health care providers and represents approximately $100 billion in annual purchasing volume.
About Sharp Fluidics, LLC
Sharp Fluidics, LLC is a San Francisco Bay Area-based surgical device company dedicated to the development and marketing of innovative medical technologies and devices to improve operating room safety, workflow and efficiency. It was co-founded by two practicing surgeons who have introduced a number of successful innovations that have significantly benefitted patient outcomes and OR efficiencies. For more information, please visit sharpfluidics.com.
Contact:Sharp Fluidics, LLC
Tom Keegan (508) 272-7750
tkeegan@sharpfluidics.com