In your sterilisation room you’ll have a data-logger device attached to your autoclave via a serial port.

This stores the information about each sterilisation cycle in a secure format.

The datalogger contains an SD card that that can be inserted into a computer to enable the data to be viewed/exported/printed etc.

Also, somewhere on your autoclave you’ll have displayed the cycle ID of the most recent sterilisation cycle.

Using an adjustable rubber stamp such as this one you can record the cycle ID on each pouch.

As the pouches are opened in surgery, the ID can easily be recorded to the patient’s records in Panara.

Where multiple pouches with the same cycle ID are used on a single patient, the ID just needs to be entered once and the enter key hit that number of times.

Also stored are the date of use and the ID of the user. The folowing video illustrates this.

In your sterilisation room you’ll have a computer attached to the autoclave.

This computer has specialised software to store data about each sterilisation cycle in a secure format.

Attached to the computer there will also a printer that prints off barcode stickers to be affixed to each pouch after a sterilisation cycle.

The barcode on each sticker is the sterilisation cycle ID.

When the instruments are later used on a patient, a handheld barcode scanner is used to record the cycle ID to that patient’s records.

Also stored are the date of use and the ID of the user.

The video below shows the workflow to scanning in barcodes into Panara (these are just random barcodes btw)

If you are using traceability software with your sterliser then extensive information about each sterlisation cycle is being recorded and stored in a secure format

Depending on your set up, Labels with barcodes can be printed and stuck onto each pouch thus linking each set of sterilised instruments with its sterilisation cycle.

In the surgery you might often use several pouches of instruments on a single patient (exam instruments, forceps, elevators etc)

The serial number or barcode on each needs to be recorded in that patient’s notes along with the date of use etc.

In Panara, using a hand-held barcode scanner you can record this information to the patient’s records in an instant.

The stored information provides traceability from patient visit to sterilisation cycle