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 re-use of a surgical instrument, comprising:
electrically coupling a scanning device to an electrosurgical energy source;
reading a removable ink supported on the surgical instrument with the scanning device, the removable ink including a protein-based composition activateable with a sterilization solution having an enzyme-based composition;
using the surgical instrument for the surgical instrument's intended purpose; and
placing the surgical instrument into the sterilization solution to at least partially dissolve the removable ink rendering the removable ink unreadable.
2. The method for preventing re-use of a surgical instrument according to claim 1 further including 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.
3. The method for preventing re-use of a surgical instrument according to claim 1 further including applying the removable ink to at least a portion of the surgical instrument.
4. The method for preventing re-use of a surgical instrument according to claim 3 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 re-use of a surgical instrument according to claim 1 further including applying the removable ink to a label and securing the label to the surgical instrument.
6. The method for preventing re-use of a surgical instrument according to claim 1 further including:
disposing a liner atop the removable ink to protect the removable ink during handling; and
removing the liner prior to using the surgical instrument.
7. The method of preventing re-use of a surgical instrument according to claim 1 further including attempting to validate the surgical instrument for re-use by scanning the removable ink with the scanning device.