EN / NL
Smarter sterilisation processes for safer care
The SteriWatch project provides a smart solution to the sterilization problem in hospitals.
Michiel Baptist
Data scientist
Surgical wound infections affect millions of patients worldwide and pose high risks and costs. One of the main causes? Inadequate sterilization of surgical instruments. With support from CrossRoads Vlaanderen-Nederland, Dutch company Ansana and Flemish company Sentigrate are working on SteriWatch, a tool that provides complete control over and insight into the sterility of instruments, from sterilization to the operating room.
The infection problem
Every surgical procedure carries risks, but one of the greatest dangers lies in an invisible enemy: bacterial infections caused by inadequately sterilized instruments. Every year, thousands of patients suffer from surgical site infections (SSIs) caused by inadequate reprocessing of surgical instruments.
Factors such as time differences between use and cleaning, inconsistencies in cleaning, suboptimal sterilization parameters such as poor steam quality, or breaking the sterile barrier cause these shortcomings. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms further increases the urgency of this problem, as SSIs become more difficult to treat.
Dominique Surinx (CEO & Co-founder Ansana): “Inadequate sterilization not only leads to health problems for patients, but also places enormous financial and operational pressure on hospitals due to the costs of reoperations, prolonged hospital stays, and additional medication use. To improve patient safety, cost efficiency, and sustainability, there is a growing need to optimize reprocessing and sterilization processes.”
Smart sterilisation technology
Dominique: “Ansana develops innovative sterilization solutions for medical instruments. Our mission is to reduce SSIs and make healthcare more cost-efficient and sustainable. We aim to achieve this by developing ‘SteriWatch,’ a sterilization technology equipped with a unique combination of advanced sensors and a real-time track-and-trace system. The sensors measure crucial parameters such as temperature, pressure, and exposure time, while the tracking system accurately tracks the location of the sterilization containers. This ensures that every instrument is sterilized correctly and remains sterile until the moment of use.”
“To achieve this, we found the ideal partner in Sentigrate. They have expertise in designing and building custom software solutions, real-time data processing, and workflow optimization. All of these are essential for developing an integrated system that combines sensor and location data in an intuitive dashboard.”
In addition, the consortium is calling on the expertise of the Flemish company Comate to develop sensors that meet the highest quality standards. Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg will test SteriWatch in a realistic hospital environment.
Impact
Thomas De Moor (CEO Sentigrate): “The social impact of this innovation is felt in various areas. For example, we expect a 10% reduction in SSIs, with direct health benefits for patients and significant cost savings for hospitals.”
“In addition, this goes against the growing trend in the use of single-use surgical instruments. Disposable materials are often still preferred because of their guaranteed sterility. With SteriWatch, we offer a sustainable alternative without compromising on safety and efficiency. This is a crucial step towards safer, more efficient, and more sustainable healthcare.”
