Sterile storage & inventory management for OR/CS supplies in hospitals

John Muir Medical Center uses Hänel vertical storage in the sterile processing department

At John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, CA, wire carts in the central sterile processing department (SPD) could not supply enough storage capacity to meet increasing demands, but already consumed a large amount of space. Facing a $1.2 million facility expansion, the organization avoided the cost and lost time associated with new construction by turning to Hänel.

Hänel solutions for central sterile supply department and pathology

The task defines the features: Hänel storage systems offer tailored interior configurations for the most diverse requirements. Hänel storage systems offer maximum efficiency in the retrieval of surgical instruments and equipment in the central sterilization department of a hospital.

The Hänel Rotomat® holds thousands of individual items in a clearly arranged, protected environment – so the right instruments are always ready for retrieval even in emergencies! In many hospitals, pathology specimens are stored in Hänel systems where they can be quickly accessed for examinations.

Florida Hospital´s sterile storage for OR/CS supplies

Florida Hospital Altamonte in Altamonte Springs, FL, has 2,300 employees and the very latest medical equipment, including innovative screening technologies, to provide comprehensive medical care in central Florida. The hospital also relies on several Hänel Rotomat® systems.

Fast provisioning of sterile operating room material on demand is guaranteed because one Rotomat® storage system is located just a few steps away from the OR area. To ensure that this system would provide maximum storage volume for the sterile storage for OR/CS supplies, it was installed in a shaft having a depth of 20 ft/6 m. Since the system has a total height of 26 ft/8 m, an enormous amount of storage capacity is available within a minimum footprint.

Protected storage of surgical instruments in the Hänel Rotomat®

The Hänel Rotomat® system is especially suited for storing heavy anodized aluminum containers storing sterilized surgical instruments. Items weighing up to 10 kg/22 lbs glide effortlessly to the retrieval point. Furthermore, the carousel principle of the system ensures efficient, ergonomic, safe and error-free item retrieval. In the past, boxes were stored on immovable shelves or racks at different heights. Now there is no walking, bending, stretching or ladder climbing.

In the sterile storage area shown, basic surgical instruments and material needed for the operating rooms are stored in sterile containers and in standard DIN-sized containers.