Removable ink for surgical instrument
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for preventing reuse of a surgical instrument. The single-use surgical instrument includes a housing, an electrical connector and a treatment component. Indicia may be printed on the housing, the electrical connector and/or the treatment component. A removable ink is applied to any portion of the surgical instrument in the form of indicia that is readable by a scanning device. The removable ink includes a protein-based composition that is reactivateable with a sterilization solution having an enzyme-based composition such that upon sterilization, the removable ink reacts with the sterilizing solution and becomes unreadable by the scanning device.
1. A method for preventing reuse of a surgical instrument, comprising:
applying a removable ink to at least one portion of the surgical instrument in a readable fashion, the removable ink including a protein-based composition reactivateable with a sterilization solution having an enzyme-based composition;
electrically coupling a scanning device to an electrosurgical energy source; and
validating the surgical instrument for an initial use by reading the removable ink applied to the surgical instrument with the scanning device.
2. The method for preventing reuse of a surgical instrument according to claim 1 further comprising:
at least partially dissolving the removable ink when the surgical instrument is placed in contact with a sterilization solution to render the removable ink unreadable.
3. The method for preventing reuse of a surgical instrument according to claim 1 further comprising configuring the removable ink in the form of at least one of a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, and a three-dimensional code.
4. The method for preventing reuse of a surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein applying the removable ink to at least a portion of the surgical instrument includes applying the removable ink to at least one of a connector, a shaft, a housing, an end effector, a handle, an actuator, a rotation mechanism, an articulation mechanism, and a switch.
5. The method for preventing reuse of a surgical instrument according to claim 1 further comprising disposing the removable ink on a label and securing the label to the surgical instrument.
6. The method for preventing reuse of a surgical instrument according to claim 1 further comprising disposing a liner atop the removable ink to protect the removable ink.
7. The method of preventing reuse of a surgical instrument according to claim 1 further comprising:
using the surgical instrument;
sterilizing the surgical instrument; and
attempting to validate the surgical instrument for re-use by scanning the removable ink with the scanning device.