Safe Orthopaedics, a company specializing in the design, manufacturing and marketing of single-use technologies for spinal surgeries, has launched the Safe Operating Room Assistant (SORA). SORA will automatically manage the inventory, traceability, and replenishment of Safe Orthopaedics products and allow virtual assistance of operating room teams.
 
The process of receiving, storing and preparing orthopedic implants and instruments is complex and costly for all hospitals. SORA stores Safe Orthopaedics devices, is equipped with a web-connected touch-screen and can be easily transferred from storage areas to operating room for offering three main functions:
 

1. Assisted selection of implants & instruments in the operating room: Via the touch-screen and proprietary software developed by Safe Orthopaedics, the medical staff will choose the product as needed in the operating room. SORA selects and delivers the correct instrumentation and implants, avoiding product selection errors. SORA will track the lot numbers of and products used and ensure all relevant hospital departments are aware of what has been implanted.
2. Virtual assistance of surgeons and medical staff: The surgical documentation of all technologies contained into SORA is accessible through the software and on-line assisted surgical support. Like all manufacturers, Safe Orthopaedics provides surgical technique education and surgical support to surgeons and nurses in order to use safe Orthopaedics in the safest and most efficient way. Because access into the operating room is more and more limited, Safe Orthopaedics can offer virtual support via the interactive touch-screen of SORA. Sales and marketing experts from Safe Orthopaedics can be virtually invited and answer queries before, during and after surgeries.
3. Automatic replenishment of devices and support of inventory management: By utilizing SORA’s automated ordering processes, Safe Orthopaedics expects to reduce the lead-time of delivery after each surgery, improve surgery planning and reduce the hospitals logistics times, resources and costs.

 
This first generation of SORA has now been validated and Safe Orthopaedics targets early 2021 for a beta launch in a limited number of strategic centers in Europe and the USA for validation. In parallel with the evaluation, Safe Orthopaedics is preparing the worldwide launch in the coming 12-18 months and plans the development of new clinical functionalities in the coming years.
 
Pierre Dumouchel, chairman of Safe Orthopaedics, said, “The development of SORA has been a really exciting challenge for the company. We are confident today that this innovation will help digitize the operating room and give us a valuable growth platform for the future.”
 
He continued, “Our innovations - personalized technologies, faster delivery, virtual assistance, clinical improvement - meet the long-standing needs expressed by surgeons and hospitals, and further reinforced by the health crisis linked to Covid-19. Over time, SORA will be improved and upgraded by additional functions such as pre-operative planning, assisted surgical techniques, navigation of implants and new generation of patient file traceability. Thanks to the financial support of BPIfrance, we will install SORA in a few centers early 2021 and accelerate the development of new functionalities.”