(Roland DG: Irvine, CA) -- Roland DG Corp., parent company of Roland DGA, announced that its medical instrument traceability and maintenance support system project, run in conjunction with Japan’s Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, has been selected by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as a proof of concept among the “2014 Industry-Academia Evaluation and Pilot Projects” and will receive a grant to further pursue this project.
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In recent years, efforts have been spreading to review medical instrument safety and management procedures to reduce the risk of infection inside hospitals and ensure patient safety. A worldwide trend is materializing among regulatory bodies that seek to have a comprehensive management system for special instruments in use at medical facilities. In the United States, the FDA began multiyear phased implementation of unique device identification (UDI) regulation in September 2014, which requires marking identifiers on medical devices. the European Union and Asia are expected to adopt the same kinds of regulation within the next few years.
In anticipation of these requirements, Roland DG introduced the MPX-90M Direct Part Marking Device. The MPX-90M allows medical facilities as well as medical instrument manufacturers and suppliers worldwide to utilize a 2D data matrix which, with the help of a database, enables hospitals to check the history of a tool, including available stock, location, and times used.
Working with the Hamamatsu University School of Medicine and its affiliated hospitals and clinic, Roland DG is using its MPX-90M medical instrument marking device to secure traceability. Roland DG is also lending its experience in manufacturing to raise the accuracy and efficiency of work involving the disassembly, sanitation, disinfection, and reassembly of medical instruments, such as scalpels, tweezers, forceps, and endoscopes. The aim is to build a model offering solutions to common issues all medical institutions are experiencing.
Seiji Yamamoto, head of the Collaboration Center for Medical Innovation at the Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, sees this project as a solution to these problems. “The project we are working on with Roland DG will allow us to ensure the traceability of instruments and digitalize the maintenance processes, which we believe will increase the reliability of our work,” he says. “In addition, we also hope to achieve more efficient and effective management of the hospital as a whole.”
Kohei Tanabe, Roland DG’s general manager of medical market development, also has high hopes for the project. “With this project, we are honored to be able to bring solutions directly to the hospital floor,” says Tanabe. “The traceability of medical instruments, maintenance of high quality standards, and the safety of patients are some of the most important issues facing the medical industry, and we believe they will only grow more important going forward. While we are working with Hamamatsu University School of Medicine to make sure this project succeeds, we also hope to develop a system that can be used industrywide and eventually bring value through digital solutions to medical facilities around the world.”
To learn more about Roland DGA Corp., Roland’s MPX-90M, or the complete lineup of high-quality Roland products, visit www.rolanddga.com.
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