In the sterile processing service (SPS) department at Northeast Ohio
VA Health Care System in Cleveland, Ohio, Assistant SPS Chief Shawn
Huelsman believes technological advances in the realm of surgical
instrument visualization should top the list of recent infection control
innovations. As the third largest VA hospital in the country, his SPS
team leads the nation in using new technological advances to improve
the quality of patient care as they inspect surgical instrumentation
throughout the decontamination, assembly, sterilization and storage of
critical and semi-critical reusable medical equipment.
Mr. Huelsman explains that the number of digital visualization tools
on the market has doubled since they purchased their original models
more than 5 years ago. Even though previous generations of inspec-
tion microscopes, for instance, were great devices, SPD technicians
were only able to see part of the picture of what was going on with
their instrumentation. In 2018, Mr. Huelsman purchased stereo inspec-
tion microscopes that provided technicians with a 3D view of their
instrumentation. The microscopes let the technicians view all sides of
the instrument at once, clearly and effectively.
Not only did the 3D microscopes let his team better visualize trouble
areas like box locks and jaws, which often harbor residual bioburden,
Mr. Huelsman describes how they were able to look even deeper than
they expected. With the latest visualization technology, technicians can
now clearly see the tips of delicate instrumentation such as micro-eye
instruments and ear picks that previous sterile processing technicians
had no way to view. With the attached camera, technicians can take
photos of what they see, and leadership can use the pictures in educa-
tion programs and instrument management systems to highlight what
the instruments look like and critical inspection points to improve
overall quality.
Related technological advancements such as borescopes have made
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