4 Reasons to Choose Hupfer Instrument Baskets

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If you are looking for instrument baskets for your sterile services department, it can be difficult to discern the quality of one brand from another.

So we were very pleased to become a distributor for a brand that is manufactured to a high standard by a company which is deeply conscious of the environmental impact of its products.

Here are just 4 reasons why we think you will find Hupfer instrument baskets are worth a look:

  1. Versatile to use

You can use Hupfer baskets in autoclaves or washers specifically designed for medical equipment.

The baskets are built to withstand stringent sterilisation methods and high temperatures of up to a maximum of 150 degrees Celsius. They are also compatible with detergents formulated to clean medical instruments.

You can choose from a wide range of sizes and configurations to help organise your medical supplies and reduce search time. Alternatively, you can opt for Hupfer’s stackable baskets to save storage space in crowded medical environments.

  1. Designed for optimum performance

Hupfer’s instrument baskets are robotically made from high-quality electropolished stainless steel.

This provides a smooth surface that:

  • avoids the risk of snags to hands, soft packaging and instrument surfaces,
  • makes cleaning and sterilisation easier through decreased likelihood of bacterial adhesion and improved fluid flow over the surface,
  • improves corrosion resistance and reduces wear so optimising the product lifespan.
  1. Focussed on Quality

Hupfer takes quality control seriously to deliver the very best products for your needs. Its quality management system is certified as compliant with DIN ISO 13485 and its products comply with the current European Regulation on medical devices, MDR 2017/745.

  1. Considerate to the Environment

Hupfer’s ‘End-of-Life Buy Back Scheme’ helps hospitals to reduce waste and cost when it comes to investing in instrument baskets.

As soon as Hupfer stainless-steel instrument baskets come to the end of their working life, Hupfer deducts their scrap value from the hospital’s new quote and recycles them.

Or if the hospital doesn’t want to order any more new baskets, Hupfer will help the hospital to find a local recycling company to ensure recovery.

To find out more about the Hupfer instrument basket Buy Back Scheme click here.

Interested in seeing Hupfer instrument baskets?

Just give us a call on 0333 015 4345 or email us at info@cairntechnology.com and we can arrange to come and show you some samples of Hupfer baskets. Or we can just provide you with a quote if you are already familiar with the brand.

Cairn sees record year for Stille surgical instruments

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Sales of Stille surgical instruments rocketed for Cairn Technology in 2024, up by over 70% on the previous 12-month period.

The handmade instruments are becoming a much more established and well-know brand amongst consultant surgeons in the UK who are looking for high performance instrumentation that will last for at least 30 years of service.

“Our Stille surgical instruments are particularly popular with consultant surgeons specialising in plastic/reconstructive, cardiothoracic and orthopaedic surgery”, says Sharon Evans, Product Sales and Marketing Manager at Cairn Technology.

“At exhibitions, we often come across theatre staff and surgeons that have been using Stille for decades and are very familiar with the brand. We have also had a lot of interest from new clinics setting up. They want to deliver the very best for their customers and recognise that using Stille instruments can be an important part of that.”

What sets Stille surgical instruments apart

As Stille instruments are handcrafted in Sweden through 70 stages from high quality stainless steel or titanium, they deliver exceptional durability, precision and handling.

Designed for optimal cleaning and maintenance, they come with a 30-year warranty, with some instruments still in use in some hospitals after 50 years.

Watch this video to see how Stille instruments are manufactured and repaired by skilled craftspeople.

Interested in Stille instruments?

If you would like to see or handle any Stille instruments, or get a quotation for them, just call the Cairn Technology surgical instrument team on 0333 015 4345 or email us at info@cairntechnology.com

You can also click here to find out more about our Stille surgical instrument range

Cairn’s Carbon Reduction Plan shows sharp fall in emissions

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Medical product and service supplier to the NHS and private hospitals, Cairn Technology, has completed its Carbon Reduction Plan for its base year, 2023.

Although 2023 is the first year that the company has actively calculated its carbon emissions, it already has an ethos of trying to minimise its impact on the environment.

This has included suppling reusable surgical instruments that come with a 30-year warranty to superabsorbent theatre mats that can significantly reduce the volume of less absorbent mats going into clinical waste.

2023 saw Cairn Technology also focus on reducing carbon emissions relating to its operations. Whilst it already sources products from Europe to minimise delivery miles travelled, it has significantly reduced carbon emissions in two other key areas:

1. Scope 1 emissions have been slashed by almost 30%

2023 saw Cairn Technology make a 29.9% reduction in carbon emissions from the company cars used by some of its staff, including its consultants who deliver workplace exposure monitoring in hospitals across the UK.

This reduction was achieved by switching to lower carbon emission company cars, such as hybrid or fully electric.

2. Employee commuting emissions have been cut by 45%

Post pandemic, Cairn gave its office staff the choice to work flexibly with a split of home and office-based working.

By implementing this hybrid working structure, we have lowered our scope 3 category 7 employee commuting emissions by 45%.

Carbon emission reduction aims for the future

The company aims to become Net Zero for Scope 1 for the reporting year 2024 through carbon offsetting schemes.

Its longer-term commitment is to achieve Net Zero across all relevant scopes and categories by 2050, at the latest.

Director Peter Binns says: “Cairn Technology began in 1999 as an environmental consultancy that helped companies to reduce their emissions to atmosphere through continuous monitoring and manage the environmental impact of chemical spills. So environmental performance is deeply ingrained in Cairn’s identity.

“Our yearly Carbon Reduction Plans are a useful way to show our NHS and private hospital clients how we are supporting them in their own plans towards Net Zero.”

Read our full 2023 Carbon Reduction Plan

To find out about other ways in which we have reduced our carbon emissions, click here to read our full Carbon Reduction Plan for 2023.

If you would like to see the independent audit of the plan email info@cairntechnology.com for your copy.

 

Diisocyanates in the Healthcare Setting

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As healthcare settings are moving away from plaster of Paris products to synthetic products there is an increased risk to staff exposure to diisocyanates, which are present in the resins and other products used within departments such as fracture clinics and prosthetic laboratories.

The British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) has adopted guidance from the European Union which introduced mandatory training for workers from August 2023.

The BOA Casting Sub Committee recommends that all healthcare professional who use synthetic casting and splinting materials contact their casting material suppliers in order to undertake product safety and education training to comply with UK REACH regulations.[1]

Further to training, the law requires you to adequately control exposure to materials in the workplace that cause ill health. This is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH).

The DFG BAT Biological Tolerance Value for HDI is 15µg/g (approx. 15µmol/mol creatinine) and for MDI is 10µg/L (approx. 4µmol/mol creatinine). [2]

Monitoring for Diisocyanates

A case study carried out in in 19 French polyurethane industries has shown that total MDA in post-shift urine samples is a reliable biomarker to assess occupational exposure to methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) in various industrial applications. [3]

The Health and Safety Executive HSE and British Occupation Hygiene Society BOHS have each produced guidance on biological monitoring.

This is designed to ensure that even with adequate training and control measures in place, staff are not exposed to excessive levels of hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI).

Biological monitoring for chemicals helps prevent unacceptable health risks by providing information on the control of occupational exposure.

It can give an indication of absorption by all routes of exposure. Consequently, it is often used to complement personal air monitoring (which measures the concentration of a chemical in the air in a person’s breathing zone).

Therefore biological monitoring may be particularly useful for those chemicals which are easily absorbed through the skin or taken in by ingestion, or where exposure is controlled by personal protective equipment. [4]

Cairn Technology Monitoring

Cairn Technology has adopted biological monitoring to assist our healthcare customers in assuring that they comply with COSHH as set out above.

If you require further information on how we can assist you please do not hesitate to contact us at info@cairntechnology.com or call one of the team on 0333 015 4345 who will be happy to help.

References:
(1) British Orthopaedic Association
(2) Research and guidance from HSE, Biological Monitoring Guidance Values.
(3) A. Robert, P. Ducos, +1 author P. Marsan. Published in International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 28 February 2007.
(4) HSG167 (Second edition, published 1997)

Cairn Technology supports CHSF with Halloween Fundraiser

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Cairn Technology’s staff got creative in the kitchen this October and magicked up some amazing Halloween treats for a freaky fundraising fuddle.

All monies raised went to the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF), taking Cairn Technology to a fundraising total of over £3,800 since starting to donate in November 2021.

We are very proud to be supporting this amazing charity, as it provides life-saving medical equipment for the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit (LCHU), as well as parent accommodation for families, and vital ward resources.

In addition, the CHSF also funds staff training, scientific research, and new clinical roles.

We have a particularly strong personal connection with the charity, as one of our staff members has a daughter who was treated at the Heart Unit.

Why help this children’s charity?

Every year the charity supports over 23,000 congenital heart disease patients, heart families and NHS Staff across Yorkshire, Humberside, Northeast Lincolnshire and North Derbyshire.

In addition, around 350 patients a year have open heart surgery at the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit and around 700 babies, children and adults have interventional procedures such as pacemakers, catheters and stents.

Every child who has open heart surgery at Leeds receives a teddy called Katie Bear, a medal and a certificate from CHSF.

So, if you are looking to support a children’s charity, this one should definitely be at the top of your list. And there are so many ways that you can get involved!

To get started, why not  order a free fundraising pack which will give you plenty of fundraising ideas.

You can also find out about the various scheduled CHSF fundraising events at this link: https://www.chsf.org.uk/events/

4 Reasons to Invest in Stille Cardiothoracic Instruments

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Cardiothoracic instruments need to be precise, durable and easy to handle in order to provide the consultant cardiothoracic surgeon with optimum support. Here, we look at four good reasons to invest in Stille’s offering:

1. Cardiothoracic scissors that provide the ultimate cut

Stille made the original SuperCut scissors combining one knife blade and one scissor blade for precise cutting to the very tip.

Stille’s vascular scissors and dissecting scissors embrace this design, giving the surgeon exceptional cutting performance in delicate procedures.

Stille’s SuperCut vascular scissors come with fine or extra fine blades at 25°, 45°, 60°, 90° and 125° angles.

Its wide range of Stille SuperCut Mayo and Metzenbaum style dissecting scissors include delicate scissors with diamond coated blades for extended durability, and ergonomic versions for reduced hand fatigue.

 

2. Micro instruments for fine work through to heavy duty

Stille’s range of micro instruments is ideal for cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgery. From ultra fine scissors to heavy duty needle holders and atraumatic forceps, the surgeon has an extensive range to choose from.

For surgeons preferring to use titanium for reduced user fatigue during procedures, Stille also offers titanium models of its micro needle holders and micro forceps.

 

3. Reduced carbon footprint

As Stille’s instruments are handmade through 70 stages with high quality stainless steel or titanium, they come with a warranty of 30 years, provided they are used, serviced and maintained as advised.

This means that their use involves a much lower carbon footprint for NHS and private hospitals, compared to disposable instruments or reusable instruments that are only warrantied for a couple of years use.

You can find out more how Stille surgical instrument help hospitals reduce their carbon footprint by clicking here.

 

4. Ease of maintenance for SSD

During manufacturing, Stille pays particular attention to both to the quality of finish on the instruments and effective design for maintenance, making it the ideal choice for your Sterile Services Department.

Even when servicing Stille instruments, its craftsman can take used instruments apart for optimum refurbishing, bringing them back to their original condition, before sending them back to you.

You can click here to find out how used Stille scissors are brought back to top condition during instrument servicing.

Want to find out more about our cardiothoracic instruments?

To read about Stille’s range of cardiovascular and cardiothoracic instruments, including vascular forceps, vascular clamps, nerve hooks and retractors, click here.

Alternatively, call us on 0333 015 4345 to discuss your needs.

 

Advances in Plastic Surgery

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Plastic surgery has undergone remarkable transformations in recent years, with technological advances and innovative techniques revolutionizing the field. These innovations not only enhance the outcomes of procedures but also contribute to improved safety, reduced recovery times, and increased patient satisfaction. In this article, we will explore some of the cutting-edge innovations in plastic surgery that are shaping the future of the industry.

1. 3D Printing Technology: Precision in Reconstruction

One of the most groundbreaking innovations in plastic surgery is the integration of 3D printing technology. This technology allows surgeons to create precise, customized implants and prosthetics tailored to individual patient needs. In reconstructive surgery, 3D printing has been particularly beneficial, enabling surgeons to replicate intricate anatomical structures with remarkable accuracy. This has led to more natural-looking results and improved functionality for patients undergoing procedures such as breast reconstruction or facial reconstruction.

2. Augmented Reality (AR) in Surgical Planning

Augmented Reality is making its mark in plastic surgery by offering surgeons a dynamic and interactive tool for preoperative planning. With AR, surgeons can visualize and manipulate three-dimensional images of a patient’s anatomy in real time. This allows for more accurate planning of incisions, implant placement, and other surgical interventions. By enhancing surgical precision and reducing the margin of error, AR is contributing to safer surgeries and better outcomes.

3. Non-Surgical Innovations: Thread Lifts and Injectable Fillers

Advancements in non-surgical procedures have gained significant popularity in recent years. Thread lifts, for example, involve the use of dissolvable threads to lift and tighten sagging skin, providing a minimally invasive alternative to traditional facelifts. Injectable fillers, on the other hand, have seen continuous improvement with the introduction of new formulations and techniques, offering more natural and longer-lasting results without the need for surgery.

4. Regenerative Medicine: Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering

The integration of regenerative medicine into plastic surgery is opening new possibilities for tissue repair and regeneration. Stem cell therapy is revealing its potential to enhance wound healing and promote the regeneration of damaged tissues. Tissue engineering involves the creation of artificial tissues and organs using a combination of cells, biomaterials, and growth factors. These approaches hold promise for improving the outcomes of reconstructive and cosmetic surgeries.

5. Robot-Assisted Surgery: Precision and Efficiency

Robot-assisted surgery is becoming increasingly prevalent in plastic surgery, offering surgeons enhanced precision and control. These robotic systems can perform complex procedures with smaller incisions, resulting in less scarring and faster recovery times. The integration of robotics is particularly beneficial in procedures such as microsurgery, where precision is crucial for success.

Combining Advances in Plastic Surgery with Trusted Methods

Plastic surgeons continue to embrace innovations and advances to deliver improved results and reduced recovery times.

In addition, by using the very best existing technology in plastic surgery, such as hand-crafted surgical instruments that are designed to last decades and offer exceptional performance, the plastic surgeon can embrace both tried-and-tested and innovative solutions for optimum outcomes.

From SuperCut scissors, that offer precise cutting to the very tip, to double action rongeurs that enable the jaws to stay in orientation, high quality surgical instruments that are specifically designed for the task at hand remain one of the most powerful assets for the plastic surgeon. Click here to find out more about how we can support advances in plastic surgery.

 

 

Recyclable MedTech for Supply Chain Decarbonisation

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Recyclable MedTech presents an important opportunity to tackle greenhouse gas emissions as part of the NHS Net Zero strategy.

As a whole, the supply chain accounts for 62% of the NHS’s carbon emissions, with medical equipment equating to 10% of the total (1).

By avoiding medical products that only allow for a ‘make-use-waste’ linear lifecycle, and opting instead for those that can be recycled at end-of-life, NHS procurement departments can benefit from a circular value system that also assists with supply chain decarbonisation.

Saving Money with Recyclable MedTech

Recyclable medical equipment not only provides value whilst being used, but also minimizes value leakage at the outflow stage.

This is particularly the case where NHS hospitals are remunerated for allowing manufacturers to collect and recycle their products.

Take for example Hupfer’s surgical instrument baskets. These come with an End-of-Life Product Recovery Scheme that allows NHS hospitals to earn rebates, support the circular economy and boost their sustainability performance.

As soon as Hupfer stainless-steel instrument baskets come to the end of their working life, Hupfer deducts their scrap value from the hospital’s new quote and recycles them.

Or if the hospital doesn’t want to order any more new baskets, Hupfer will help the hospital to find a local recycling company to ensure recovery.

To find out more about Hupfer’s recyclable MedTech click here.

Reducing Carbon Emissions with Recyclables

Waste reduction is also a key benefit of products with a ‘use-recycle-reinvest’ purchasing profile.

By repurposing used medical devices through recycling, carbon emissions are reduced as fewer new products need to be manufactured from scratch.

According to ‘Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service’ medical devices represent one of the top areas of opportunity for the NHS to reduce its carbon footprint, along with supply chain, estates and facilities, pharmaceuticals and travel.

With the NHS spending £10 billion a year on medical technology including syringes, surgical instruments and pacemakers, it is clear to see how recycling can provide NHS procurement with a significant reduction in both spend and carbon emissions.

Minimising the need to recycle

It’s also important to minimise the amount of recycling of Medtech products in the first place by investing in the highest quality reusable technology. For example, some reusable surgical instruments may be recyclable, but if they are only warrantied to last for a couple of years that can generate a lot in terms of carbon emissions, compared to an instrument that typically lasts between 30 and 70 years.

At Cairn Technology, we supply Stille handcrafted instruments that deliver this level of longevity. Find out more about how Stille, endeavours to minimize the impact generated by their business on the climate and the environment by clicking here: https://www.stille.se/about-us/quality/environment/

To keep track of how we here at Cairn Technology are helping hospitals to reduce their carbon footprint, as well as reduce our own CO2e emissions, follow our blog here.

References:

  • NHS England, ‘Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ national health service’.

NHS Backlog – Where Are We Now?

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A couple of years ago, we analysed the NHS backlog, including some of its underlying causes, along with the plans in place to address it. More recently, we assessed the current state of A&E waiting times across the NHS.

The UK now has a new Labour government. The 2024 Labour manifesto promised to “build an NHS fit for the future.”

In this post, we’ll look at the current state of the NHS backlog and explore Labour’s plans for addressing these challenges.

What is the NHS Backlog?

They define the backlog as “the care the NHS would normally have delivered, but which was disrupted as COVID-19 impacted service delivery”. This incorporates cancelled procedures, delayed or refused referrals, and patients on waiting lists for treatments who would ordinarily have been seen by now.

The BMA also recognises “patients who have not yet presented to the GP… due to concerns of burdening the health service…” This implies that it’s impossible to measure the full extent of the lockdown. There’s a “hidden backlog” to contend with, too.

NHS Backlog in 2024 – What Does It Look Like Right Now?

According to the latest BMA figures, more patients than ever are currently waiting for treatment. In May 2024, there were a total of 6,377,599 individual patients waiting for treatment in England alone. Almost half of these patients have been waiting for over 18 weeks, and over 300,000 have been waiting for over a year.

The BMA regularly updates their figures on the NHS backlog.

Long-Term Issues and Brand-New Challenges

The backlog can still be largely attributed to the immense disruption brought by COVID-19 and the associated lockdowns. Yet even before the pandemic struck, demand for hospital treatment was outstripping capacity.

The NHS has a long-term plan of ensuring that 92% of patients should receive treatment within 18 months of referral. The last time this target was met was in September 2015.

To make matters worse, in July 2024 a global IT outage plunged many industries into chaos. This affected many healthcare services, with GP practices warning that they’re now facing a “considerable backlog” in appointments.

The New Labour Government’s Plans For the NHS

In their election manifesto, Labour outlined their plans for the NHS as follows:

  • Cut waiting times with 40,000 more appointments each week.
  • Double the number of cancer scanners.
  • A new Dentistry Rescue Plan.
  • 8,500 additional mental health staff.
  • Return of the family doctor.

Referencing the NHS backlog, the manifesto said:

“We will return to meeting NHS performance standards. That means patients should expect to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral for consultant-led treatment of non-urgent health conditions. This standard was achieved with the last Labour government and will be again under the next.”

Here’s how Labour plan to achieve these goals:

  • Incentivising staff to carry out additional appointments out of hours.
  • Pooling resources across neighbouring hospitals to introduce shared waiting lists to allow patients to be treated quicker.
  • Using spare capacity in the independent sector to ensure patients are diagnosed and treated more quickly.
  • “Reset relations with NHS staff” to address treatments affected by staff strikes.

What are the New Government’s Targets for the NHS Backlog?

Labour’s target is to clear the waiting time for elective treatment of over 18 weeks within five years. Analysis in the BMJ has outlined the practical, political, and financial considerations that will be necessary for Labour to achieve this target.

“Short of achieving near miraculous improvements in economic growth,” the report says, “the stark choices over NHS funding will have profound implications for the incoming government’s entire programme.”

We have already seen one of Labour’s policy pledges in action: The plan to draw from spare capacity in the independent sector to diagnose NHS patients. Since April, the Sussex Elective Co-ordination Centre has been helping over 400 NHS patients a week access private care facilities.

Yet at the time of writing, the new Labour government has been in place for less than a month. Obviously, it is still far too early to assess their success in clearing the NHS backlog. The BMA figures suggest that things are as bad as they’ve ever been. Yet hopefully, things can only get better.

Support For NHS Healthcare Providers

At Cairn Technology, we specialise in improving quality and efficiency in healthcare settings.

While we cannot help you address long waiting lists in your NHS healthcare setting, we can help you to improve staff safety and well-being while reducing turnaround times between certain procedures.

For a friendly chat about how we can help you, get in touch to talk to one of our experts today.

Capturing blood spills during Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

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There can be quite a lot of blood when a vein is removed for use in the Coronary Artery Bypass Graft procedure, so what is needed is an absorbent product that soaks up this blood, keeping any surrounding area clean.

What’s more, any product used to absorb the blood needs to be placed against the patient, so it needs to be sterile to reduce the risk of surgical site infection in the open wound.

Why is there so much blood spilled during CABG surgery?

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is commonly used to treat coronary heart disease.

It does this by diverting blood around narrowed or clogged sections of the major arteries to improve blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart.

Due to the nature of the surgery, there can be a lot of blood spilled during the operation. This is because a CABG involves taking a blood vessel from a part of the body such as an arm, leg or the chest.

This blood vessel is then attached to the coronary artery above and below the narrowed area or blockage.

How Cairn’s Sterile mats can help with a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft blood spill

Our Sterile DryMax Maxi mat is the ideal solution for locking away blood spills during CABG procedures. Each mat absorbs up to 6 litres of water or 2.4 litres of saline and measures 72cm x 37 cm in size.

Being sterile, the mats can be placed next to the patient near the open wound, minimising the risk of surgical site infections. By capturing drips and spills, the mat also reduces the risk of slips from any blood pooling on the floor.

Completely latex-free, this versatile mat can be placed directly beneath the patient and used flat, folded or rolled, depending on the needs of the surgical team.

Sylvia Bristow, Theatre Sister in Cardiothoracic Theatres at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield has found them very useful.

“We use the DryMax Sterile mat when taking a vein from the patient’s leg for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, as this procedure can be very bloody”, says Sylvia. “Not only does the DryMax Sterile mat absorb the blood, it also helps to keep the bandage clean.”

Is the Sterile DryMax Maxi mat right for you?

Are you having issues capturing blood spills during Coronary Artery Bypass Graft procedures? Why not request some free samples? Just call Cairn Technology on 0333 015 4354 or email info@cairntechnology.com.