IBM

IBM Software to Protect Patients in the Event of Medical Device Recalls

Implanet, a manufacturer of implantable medical devices, has selected IBM sensor technology as the foundation for BeepN'Track, a new service that traces the movement of Implanet's products – including knee and hip implants - across its supply chain to hospitals.

The products are completely traceable allowing the easy identification of patients whose implanted medical devices are the subject of a recall.The company's BeepN'Track service uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to track medical devices from Implanet to hospitals. Prior to shipping, Implanet affixes an RFID tag bearing a unique serial number to the packaging of each individual device.

Before a surgical procedure takes place, a hospital uses a handheld device to scan the tag from the medical device being implanted and stores that information along with the patient's records. The tag is given to the patient after surgery so he or she will have all available information concerning the implant in the event of future concerns.

The information stored on the tags is gathered by IBM's WebSphere Sensor Events software and transmitted to IBM's InfoSphere Traceability Server software. This allows Implanet to manage and share information with the systems of any trading partners that adhere to GS1 EPCglobal's Electronic Product Code Information Services standard for capturing and sharing sensor data.

For more information, please visit: www.philips.com