Steris Corporation and GE Healthcare announced a recent collaborative agreement to work together in support of interventional suites by integrating their leading edge technologies. The announcement was made at the Society of Interventional Radiology annual meeting in San Diego on March 9th, 2009.
Both these companies are global leaders in their respective niches. GE Healthcare excels at medical imaging and informational technologies. Steris Corporation is a surgical technology company that focuses on problem solving, particularly in the infection and contamination control arena. The expertise that each brings to the table is different, but the coordination between the two is vital to come up with working solutions in this rapidly growing patient care field. The advanced solutions achieved by the partnered effort of these organizations will significantly improve the quality of interventional care across the country and the world.
For this collaboration, both companies agreed to equip interventional suites. GE healthcare will provide x-ray equipment and other related technologies. Steris will provide custom designed HD 360 degree suites that include LED surgical grade lighting, video-switching systems, visualization systems, and equipment management solutions.
Founded in 1987, Steris is a leading provider of infection prevention and surgical products. Their specialty is supplying the critical care, pharmaceutical, and research markets. Their products include many types of washers, instrument cleaning solutions, and sterilizers. They also offer a variety of sterility assurance products. These include:
- Biological indicators
- Chemical indicators
- Personnel monitoring systems
- Surgical scrub sinks
- Barrier and packaging products
- Containers
- Disinfectants and aerosols
- Skin care and hygiene products
- Record keeping and labeling supplies
Modes of decontamination include hydrogen peroxide, steam, ethylene oxide, and various liquid chemicals. The list is enormous. 5,000 Steris employees around the world are dedicated to providing healthcare professional with the products and combination of solution they need to keep patients healthy and safe.
GE healthcare provides equipment necessary for just about every possible scan and imaging device you can think of and more, plus all of the actual machines too. Whether it pertains to an MRI, contrast media, CT workstations, anesthesia, or integrated intravascular ultrasound systems, GE has it available. 46,000 employees around the world are committed to providing the best possible service. In 2007, revenues reached 16.9 billion dollars.
Why Contamination Control Matters
Sterilization and contamination control management are necessary regardless of the mode or venue of patient treatment. Non-invasive methods can still present opportunities for pathogens (such as Staph) to spread. Furthermore, intravenous procedures during therapy and/or imaging can generate hazardous medical waste. Anything that patients and medical personnel touch needs to be cleaned and sanitized regularly.
New products and methods to make this process easier and more effective are helpful. Secondary infections are a growing problem in the healthcare industry, and everyone involved needs to take a proactive approach to disease prevention by practicing good hygiene. Chemicals and radiologic instruments used in therapy must be managed with care. Safe guards must be maintained so that facilities and equipment intended for healing do not become sources of nosocomial infection. With the help of companies like GE and Steris, the tools are available to keep patients and healthcare workers safe.
For advanced sterilization and autoclaving of everything from linens to instruments, check our free report for helpful information regarding equipment specifications.