RFID Smart Sponge

RFID-enabled SmartSponge System receives Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance. ...

... "The ClearCount SmartSponge System is a novel, RFID-based solution that was designed after extensive work with nurses and surgeons at leading healthcare institutions. The SmartSponge System uses Texas Instruments Inc.'s Tag-it HF-I portfolio of high-frequency products to automate the process of managing surgical sponges during surgery. The sponges are permanently affixed with passive RFID tags smaller than a dime. Steve Fleck, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer added: Unlike other technologies, ClearCount's RFID-based SmartSponge System allows users to simultaneously count and differentiate between types of sponges. Additionally, since RFID does not require a line-of-sight between the reader and tags, there is no need to physically separate sponges or orient the tags in any way to scan them. This minimizes the handling of soiled sponges by nursing staff. " ...

Via ClearCount Medical Solutions: RFID Surgical Sponge Counting System to prevent retention of surgical sponges (PDF)

RFID Improves Stroke Treatment: Access Health Records

National Stroke Association endorses implantable RFID microchips as a treatment to enable access to the critical health records of stroke victims. A stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. National Stroke Association is the leading national non-profit organization devoting all of its efforts and resources to stroke. VeriMed Patient Identification System is used to rapidly and accurately identify people who arrive in an emergency room and are unable to communicate. This RFID identification system uses the first human-implantable passive microchip, the implantable VeriChip. ...

... "The National Stroke Association (NSA) has recognized that implantable RFID microchip technology offers the ability to improve stroke treatment by providing medical professionals with immediate access to vital health information of stroke-afflicted patients. An excerpt from the letter, signed by James Baranski, CEO of the National Stroke Association, states: Personal Health Records, including implantable RFID microchips such as VeriMed, could play a critical role in assisting medical professionals in delivering appropriate stroke treatment promptly, leading to better patient outcomes. The VeriMed Patient Identification System which consists of a handheld radio frequency identification (RFID) scanner, an implantable RFID microchip and a secure patient database, is being used to help rapidly identify and provide access to important health information on participating patients who arrive at an emergency department unconscious, delirious or unable to communicate. This implantable RFID system is the only system of its type cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration for use in people. " ...

Via VeriChip: National Stroke Association Views Implantable RFID Microchip such as VeriMed as a Potential Life-Saving Medical Device ...