Enhancing Medical Device Robotics Automation With RFID
Medical device OEMs are adopting RFID to apply intelligent auto calibration and authentication to the latest robotic surgical devices. With RFID “parent and child pairing” systems the OEM can ensure that only proper devices are paired together, such as authenticating that the correct cable is used with a vessel sealing instrument, preventing the use of incorrect or counterfeit attachments, which could damage the OEM’s brand reputation.
This RFID pairing system also enables automatic calibration of device parameters such as speed, torque, RPM or depth of penetration. For example, an RFID-enabled arthroscopic shaver can adapt to specific parameters for knee or shoulder operations, ensuring highly precise measurements and minimizing human error, as well as saving time and manual effort in the operating room.
Moreover, RFID pairing systems also can perform cycle counts and incorporate a kill switch for management of robotic surgical devices that have reached end-of-life (EOL) and need to be replaced. In this way, RFID for medical device robotics automation helps prevent the use of devices beyond their EOL stage, mitigating liability risks while safeguarding patient safety.
“With RFID for robotic automation, operating settings like torque, RPM and speed can be embedded in the system to eliminate human error and increase patient safety.”
Caryn Mills, Medical Device Sales Director, U.S.A.
Why RFID is Ideal for Medical Device Robotics Automation
The use of RFID greatly enhances medical device automation, identification and calibration to improve the success of minimally invasive robot-assisted procedures, contributing to fewer complications, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery. For example, when used in a “parent and child pairing” system, RFID can identify and authenticate the correct instrument when it is connected to the surgical robotic system, which could have ten or more possible attachments. This system also helps surgeons ensure that proper parameters are set when performing robot-assisted surgeries for various specialties such as urology, gynecology and general surgery.
By enabling fail-safe and efficiency measures, RFID helps ensure the best possible results are obtained with medical device robotics automation. In this way, OEMs can protect their brand reputation, reduce liability risks and increase ROI, while vastly improving patient safety and care.
