The Tristel 3T platform tracks and traces when ultrasound transducers or probes have been disinfected with Tristel ULT
FAIRFIELD, NJ—Parker Laboratories Inc., a worldwide leader in ultrasound supplies and accessories, announced it will be introducing the Tristel 3T platform at the annual meeting of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) on June 3-5 in San Antonio, TX.
Tristel 3T is a full-featured cloud-based compliance platform providing users with the tools to track and trace decontamination events in real time. It combines an intuitive mobile app for use at the point of care with an interactive web portal, giving users invaluable decontamination compliance tools. It provides a single standardized method for documenting that ultrasound transducers and probes have been thoroughly disinfected, replacing written records.
Medical care providers who have used 3T in their practices report the new platform has reduced the time needed for high-level disinfection and documentation by two-thirds or more, while saving money and ensuring all probes are safely disinfected. “We’re a busy practice—and with 3T we aren’t wasting time disinfecting and documenting between patients,” said Cari Rohe, BSN, RN, AMB-BC, Clinic Supervisor for Women’s Health at Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, CO. “We are much more efficient.”
“3T guides users through all process steps, tracking decontamination events and making them available to view in real time across their organization,” explained Neal Buchalter, President of Parker Laboratories. “This allows administrators to ensure not only decontamination is taking place at the appropriate intervals, but users are following the exact process each time. Aggregated data from all decontamination events are securely stored and can be found across interactive dashboards, allowing administrators to view and share customized reports.”
Tristel 3T is designed to be used with FDA-cleared Tristel ULT™, a highly effective high-level disinfectant for ultrasound transducers and probes that is manufactured and distributed for US and Canadian markets by Parker Laboratories under an exclusive commercial partnership with UK-based Tristel plc (AIM: TSTL). Tristel ULT kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi within two minutes of contact and is compatible with more than 1000 ultrasound probes.
Compared to other disinfection methods, such as automated systems and cold soak solutions, wiping with Tristel ULT is the quickest and most cost-effective method, improving workflows and reducing costs, clinicians say. It also is gentler on equipment, enabling expensive probes to last longer.
Before 3T was available, medical departments typically relied on paper-based record keeping or systems where records could be printed. At Valley View Hospital, for example, medical staff kept track of the disinfection process for transvaginal ultrasound probes by using stickers attached to the probes, said Rohe. “It was really time consuming.” For Valley View, therefore, 3T has been an important improvement. “It’s so much better than the paper system we had before,” Rohe said.
The 3T app has been carefully designed for total assurance and ease of use. During each use, the app displays animated reminders of the Tristel ULT disinfection process to the user, and provides step-by-step prompts for the key stages, such as disinfection contact times and the replacement of PPE.
After each disinfection event is complete and the data are synced with the cloud, the status of each medical device can be viewed in the interactive web portal. The records show comprehensive event details, including the patient on which the device will be used next, lot and expiration dates for the Tristel ULT product, and the person who performed the disinfection.
“No other traceability system offers this level of functionality or assurance, which will translate into improved patient care,” says Buchalter.
The Tristel 3T platform is available as an Apple or Android download and is available for no charge for the users of Tristel ULT.
Both Parker Laboratories (booth #1713) and Tristel (booth #1719) will be demonstrating Tristel ULT and the 3T digital traceability platform during the APIC meeting.
About Tristel ULT
Tristel ULT is delivered in a novel dosing bottle with two separate compartments. One compartment contains the Tristel Part A solution (sodium chlorite) and the other contains the Tristel Part B solution (citric acid). When the pump is pressed, the two solutions mix, generating a precise and consistent dose of chlorine dioxide foam. The process does not require electricity or water, making it ideal for remote locations. The product is also less expensive, quicker, and easier to use than other methods of high-level disinfection currently on the market.
About Parker Laboratories
Parker Laboratories is a leading global medical product company that develops, manufactures, and sells ultrasound and electromedical contact media and accessories, as well as leading lines of instrument cleaners and disinfectants. A worldwide leader in ultrasound medical products for over 65 years, Parker has consistently been at the forefront of technological advances in the industry. Its flagship product, Aquasonic®100 ultrasound transmission gel, is the world standard for medical ultrasound. For more information, visit www.parkerlabs.com.