AutoCount - Idea to Product Competition

AutoCount
Automated Surgical Tool Counting System
SurgiTech Team Members
Maciej Krolikowski
Mohammad Raza
Illinois Institute of
Technology
Background

1500 patients per year.

Mortality rates 11-35%


Malpractice insurance:
$50,000-$150,000/case
$600 million/year paid to
patients
http://sterileeye.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/scissors_xray.jpg
Advocate Health Care

9 hospitals + 2 children’s hospital

Collaboration with Lutheran General;

The visit to the hospital

List of the doctor involved/administrators:


Dr. John White, Head of Surgery, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
Dr. Benjamin J Sorensen, Product manager, Intuitive Surgical
Team Objective


Improve counting efficiency
Detection system on Mayo
table to automatically track
equipment

Centralized detection system

Failsafe mechanism
http://rfidcenter.lv/docimgs/ENG_RFID_technology_tags_small.jpg
Why RFID?

Detection method—equipment/human body

Selection Criteria:
 Invasiveness
 Unique id
 Time
Competitors

ClearCount:
 Smart

Sponge system
SurgiCount Medical:
 Safety-Sponge

system
Blue-Chiip:
 RFID
system
www.surgicount.com
Test results of previous RFID product
from Advocate Health Care
Advantages

“I think this tool would be valuable in a crash case when unable to count”,
Labor & Delivery Ward, Site Lutheran General Hospital

“additional safety device”, OR, Site Trinity Hospital

“Simple + Time Saving”, OR, Site Trinity Hospital
Drawbacks:

“Cost”, OR, Site Trinity Hospital

“the fact it picks other objects such as ID badges”,
Labor/Delivery/Recovery/Post-Partum, Site Trinity Hospital

“bulky”, OR, Site Lutheran General Hospital (LGH)

“opening laps a little difficult due to paper wrapping”, OR, Site (LGH)

“too large size of wand, awkward to use”, Abdomen Surgery, Site (LGH)
How is it different ?
AutoCount
Competitors
Circularly polarized
Linearly polarized
Heat resistant
NA
Chemical resistant
NA
Reusable
Disposable
Centralized system
NA
Sponges & surgical tools
Sponges only
Improved tagging system
Basic tagging system
Design
First Prototype



Alien Technology
RFID scanner
UHF Gen 2 RFID
Tags
Polypropylene/
Silicone Incasing
www.alientechnology.com
Penetrability Testing
Market

Industries
 Primary
 Hospitals


& Health-Care Institutions
Domestic 1st /International 2nd
Large hospitals 1st/Small Institutions 2nd
 Surgical
Tool Manufacturers
 Third party vendors
Why AutoCount?

Increased patient safety

Greater operating room efficiency

Reduced liability

Avg. 5 cases/year/hospital

Malpractice insurance: $50,000-150,000/case

$15,000-20,000/OR

Avg. $30/surgery
Market Analysis
Market Size
$2Billion
Potential Untapped
Market
ClearCount
SurgiCount
ClearCount 2008 Sponge Market Analysis
Including Surgical Tools and 1% market group current
market 3 billion dollars
Intellectual Property

Current Development
 Research
 Components

– Proprietary Technology
Future Goals
 Patent
Application (USPTO)
 BRIC nations
 Method/Utility Patents
 Partnerships (GE, Intuitive Surgical, Edwards Life
Science, etc.)
Conclusion

Mission

Concept

Technology

Tomorrow’s operating room
http://dels.nas.edu/ilar_n/ilarjournal/48_2/graphics/48_2_163f2.jpg
Acknowledgements
1.
Dr. White, Head of Surgery, Lutheran General Hospital
2.
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Staff
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Dr. Derwent, PhD, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Illinois Institute of
Technology
Dr. Gatchell, PhD, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Illinois Institute of
Technology
Dr.Choi, PhD, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology
Dr. Pistrui, Coleman Chair of Entrepreneurship, Industry Assoc., Prof. in Stuart
School
Alien Technology
Thank You!
Questions?
References
1. Forecasting the Unit Cost of RFID Tags. Moscatiello, Richard. July 2003. https://mail.iit.edu/attach/costing_model.pdf?sid=DQ482OWkQDI&mbox=INBOX&charset=utf8&uid=4208&number=4&filename=costing%20model.pdf
2. http://www.impinj.com/applications/application_notes/reader_antenna_application_
notes.aspx?ekmensel=c580fa7b_213_227_2653_1
3. SurgiCount: http://www.surgicountmedical.com
4. RFID tag frequency reading: http://www.rf-id.com/6information/rfid_info_techexplained.htm
4. Scanners reading through metal: http://semiconductors.tekrati.com/research/10289/
5. Animal tagging: http://www.biomark.com/
6. RFID temperature resistive: http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/484381
7. About scanning capabilities of RFID systems
http://www.impinj.com/products/rfid-reader.aspx?ekmensel=c580fa7b_215_0_168_3
8. An Incremental Step in Patient Safety: Reducing the Risks of Retained Foreign Bodies by the Use of an Integrated Laparotomy Pad/Retractor Warren E. Enker, Joseph E.
Martz, Antonio Picon, Steven D. Wexner, James W. Fleshman, Jr, John Koulos and Noah GoldmanSurgical Innovation, Vol. 15, No. 3, 203-207 (2008).
9.Electronic tagging of surgical sponges to prevent their accidental retention, Carl E. Fabian, MD, FACR Surgery Vol. 137, Issue 3, Pag 298-301 Mar. 2005.
Manufacturing Analysis
Concept Selection

The Mountable Scanner: (Motorola RD 5000)





Field of scanning
Easy to be mounted
Minimizes possibility of cross-talking
Tag compatibility
Courtesy of Motorola
The handheld Scanner: (Motorola 9090G)


Penetrability/biocompatibility
Capability to tag writing and scanning
Courtesy of Motorola

The Tags: (Alien Higgs Family of UHF RFID ICs)





Operational temperature/durability
Micro-size feasibility/flexibility
Re-usability/memory capacity
Cross-talking/biocompatibility
Passive
Courtesy of Alien
Technological Misconceptions
Misconception: Incapable of transmitting through metals and different
densities
 Readers can tag and read through metal: toll payment systems
 In vivo tagging since 1980s: tagging animals
Misconception: Cross-talk with RF signals from other products
 Identify tags based on specific frequency
 Reader
corresponds to specific frequency with tagged item
Misconception: RFID scanning is not reliable
 Items scanned at a rate of 150-300 items/min with 100% success
First Prototype

RFID scanner:


RFID Tags:


Alien 9650
Alien Type UHF, G2
Adhesive:

Master Bond Inc.

Ellsworth
#3 equipment is
missing!
#3 equipment
is returned!
www.alientechnology.com
Durability Testing

Temperature Resistance



Autoclave testing
Chemical Resistance

Surgical cleaning process

Biological conditions
Bending resistance:

Extent tag can be bent
http://www.salzgitter-aktuell.de/mm/mm001/autoclaving-1.JPG
Risk Analysis

Cost per operating room:
$15,000 to $20,000 (initial
investment)

$3/tag

Increase in malpractice
insurance: $50,000 to $150,000
per case

Happens 1 in 4000 (1500 cases
each year)
https://mail.iit.edu/attach/costing_model.pdf?sid=DQ482OWkQDI&mbox=INBOX&charset
=utf-8&uid=4208&number=4&filename=costing%20model.pdf
Business Model
1.
2.
3.
Core Capabilities
Cost Structure
Value Proposition
Business Plan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Mission Statement and Company Description
Management Team
Market and Customer
Industry and Competition
Product and Service
Marketing Plan and Strategies
Operations (Insourcing VS. Outsourcing)
Financial Projections and Plans
Risk Analysis
Technology Analysis
Organization Structure
Key Challenges
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Cost Management : Market leading and scalable systems.
Rising wholesale costs : Focusing on profitability per
customer.
Growing value : Integrated optimizing value.
Innovative investments : To attract initial investors.
Regulatory Environment : FDA regulations.
Application of New Technology

Linearly polarized reader antenna

Circularly polarized antenna

Radiate entirely in one plane

Plane rotates in a circular fashion
Power Transfer depends on this
optimal orientation

Wave comes around to illuminate
regardless of tag orientation

Tags are designed to take full
advantage


Not always possible in diverse
applications
http://www.impinj.com/applications/application_notes/reader_antenna_application_notes.aspx?ekmensel=c580fa7b_213_227_2653_1
Business Plan

Market and Customer

Industry and Competition

Marketing Plan and Strategies




Patient safety
Efficiency
Liability
Financial Projections and Plans:


Avg. 5 cases/year/hospital
Malpractice insurance: $50000-150000/case
$15000-20000/room
Business Model
1.
Core Capabilities
Technology
Logistics
2.
Cost Structure
Competitive prices
Operations
3.
Value Proposition
Licensing
Retail component