DEVICE_FEED: ACTIVE
SYS.REF: ADAM-I // RFID_SURGICAL_ACCOUNTABILITY
ALL INSTRUMENTS ACCOUNTED - STATUS: CLEAR
Medical Device Design
Adam-i Surgical Accountability System
COMPLETED_PRODUCT
01/ CLIENT
Adam-i Medical
02/ SERVICES
Industrial Design & CMF
03/ TIMELINE
Q1 - Q4 2025
04/ PLATFORM
Post-Op / Surgical Suite
THE BRIEF_
A post-operative RFID ring scanner to eliminate retained surgical instruments.
Adam-i tasked us with designing a band-shaped wearable scanning device that wraps around the surgical field after an operation. The device uses embedded RFID to scan and verify every tagged surgical instrument is present before the patient is closed, giving surgical teams instant go/no-go accountability.
THE CHALLENGE_
Designing a medical device that functions under demanding sterile field conditions required balancing strict regulatory requirements with intuitive single-glance status feedback. The visual language needed to be unmistakably clear: green for all clear, red for alert - no ambiguity possible.
We engineered the form factor as a smooth, cleanable ring construction in medical-grade white polymer, with a precision RFID scanning wheel at the terminal node and a high-contrast LED status strip that is visible across the surgical suite.
THE CRITICAL GAP
Surgical Accountability
Retained Surgical Instruments (RSIs) represent one of the most preventable yet catastrophic errors in modern operating theatres. Adam-i was designed to close this gap at the final moment - before closure.
OR_INSTRUMENT_HANDOFF
SURGICAL_FIELD_COVERAGE
INSTRUMENT_SCATTER_CONCEPT
GLOBAL INCIDENCE
1 in 5,500
Surgeries result in a retained instrument - often undetected for days or weeks post-closure.
MANUAL COUNT FAILURE RATE
13%
Of manual instrument counts produce discrepancies requiring repeat counts, delaying closure and increasing risk.
ADAM-I SCAN TIME
< 3s
Full RFID sweep of the sterile field, reading every tagged instrument simultaneously, with instant LED verdict.
3D PRODUCT VIEWS
Form in Every Angle
Medical-grade white polymer construction with a precision ergonomic ring form. Studio renders across all orientations.
VIEW_01 // FRONT - STATUS: ALL CLEAR
VIEW_02 // TOP-DOWN
VIEW_03 // 3/4 OPEN
VIEW_04 // FULL SIDE PROFILE - COMPLETE RING FORM
RFID DETECTION ARRAY
Scanning Technology
The precision RFID emitter node and rotating scanning wheel form the core detection mechanism, reading every tagged instrument in milliseconds.
OPERATING FREQ.
13.56 MHz
RFID_EMITTER_01
RFID_EMITTER_02
SCANNER_HEAD_WHEEL
SCANNER_WHEEL_DETAIL
PROTOCOL
ISO/IEC 14443
READ RANGE
Up to 400mm Radius
SCAN CYCLE
Simultaneous Multi-Tag
STERILIZATION
Autoclave Compatible
INSTANT VERIFICATION
Status at a Glance
Two unambiguous states - designed so a surgical team can read the verdict from across the operating theatre with no training required.
ALL INSTRUMENTS ACCOUNTED
STATUS: CLEAR - SAFE TO CLOSE
INSTRUMENT DISCREPANCY
STATUS: ALERT - DO NOT CLOSE
GREEN - FULL ACCOUNTABILITY
All RFID-tagged instruments detected within scan radius. Digital count matches physical manifest. Field cleared for closure by surgeon.
RED - COUNT DISCREPANCY
One or more RFID tags absent from scan result. Device locks alert state and triggers acoustic alarm. Field halted until discrepancy resolved.
DETAIL & CRAFTSMANSHIP
Material Intelligence
Medical-grade polymer surfaces, precision connector contacts, and razor-sharp branding details. Every surface designed for sterile environments and repeated autoclave cycles.
HINGE_SECTION_A
HINGE_SECTION_B
CHARGING_CONTACTS
TOP_PANEL_BRANDING
DISPLAY_AREA_DETAIL
STATUS_LED_DETAIL
SCANNER_WHEEL_ALT
SHELL MATERIAL
Medical-Grade Polycarbonate
SURFACE FINISH
Matte White / Soft-Touch
STERILIZATION RATING
ISO 17664 / Autoclave
INGRESS PROTECTION
IP67 Fully Sealed
THE PROCESS: STRATEGY & PROTOTYPING
PHASE_01
Clinical Research
Embedding with surgical teams to map instrument accountability workflows. Identifying friction points in current manual count procedures and sterile field protocols.
PHASE_02
Form Development
Translating the ring/band form factor from concept to 3D, optimizing the scanner node placement, grip geometry, and one-handed deployment mechanics for gloved hands.
PHASE_03
CMF & Validation
Selecting autoclave-safe polymers with minimal surface microbe adhesion. Validating the LED status strip luminance across varied OR lighting conditions and from a 5-metre surgeon distance.