Towards smart sterile supply cycles.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Informatics
• Operations Management
• Medical Device Logistics

Background:

• The sterile supply cycle (SSC) is critical for perioperative care but is often fragmented and lacks real-time visibility.
• Current smart hospital initiatives primarily focus on patient-centered systems, neglecting critical perioperative material logistics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a conceptual framework for integrating operating rooms (ORs), OR management, and the SSC into a unified smart hospital network.
• To enable end-to-end visibility and data-driven coordination of sterile supply processes within the perioperative environment.

Main Methods:

• A model-driven approach combining empirical studies and smart manufacturing principles.
• Identified systemic weaknesses through surveys and benchmarking, focusing on instrument availability and OR-CSSD information flow.
• Developed functional, technical, and architectural requirements through expert consultations.

Main Results:

• A service-oriented, layered architecture (perception, network, gateway, knowledge, application) for integrated systems.
• ORs, OR management, and Central Sterile Supply Departments (CSSD) are modeled as interoperable, autonomous subsystems.
• An event-driven integration logic facilitates cross-domain data exchange, traceability, and decision support.

Conclusions:

• Presents a conceptual framework for embedding the SSC into smart hospital architectures.
• Enhances visibility of sterile supply processes as an interoperable subsystem.
• Provides a foundation for developing more coordinated and resilient sterile supply operations.