One wall of the OR is configured much as a mail drop wall is in a post office, with access to wall shelves or compartments from both inside and outside of the room. This is possible by design, as the Optimus ISE™ has eliminated the scrub sinks that are positioned outside one wall of the operating room. (Persistent alcohol waterless scrubbing technology has replaced the standard scrubbing techniques, making scrub sinks obsolete.)
The "Post Office" wall is covered on both surfaces with floor-to-ceiling glass access doors to enable full view of available supplies. All supplies are accessed from within the room and re-stocked from outside of the room by operating room stocking personnel.
All surgical packs are RFID labeled, and each shelf has a RFID antenna beneath it. Finding needed items during the operation is facilitated by the opOR software package, which updates every 20 seconds, allowing surgical instruments to be found in a timely manner, preventing delays. Items located in other operating rooms and even central supply can be quickly obtained. Items removed from the shelves from the inside of the room are electronically read for billing and inventory control throughout the procedure. Surgical packs pre-ordered when the case is scheduled are prepared the night before the procedure and identified for the physician/case.
By design, the need for the circulating nurse to leave the room during the case to search for supplies is eliminated, a significant operational safety improvement, especially when intra-operative complications occur.
Efficient par stocking of supplies contributes significantly to reduction in turnover time, as supplies are readily available within the room itself.
