Hospital and Surgery Center Operating Rooms (OR) and Sterile Processing
Departments (SPD) have a constant frustration trying to prevent holes, tears, or
rips in the surgical trays sterilization wrap from sharp corners on surgical trays
and heavy surgical trays.
Handling procedures for wrapped sterile surgical trays have been written,
manufacturers are making disposable sterile wrap in a variety of thickness, and
sterile processing departments use double wrap on some surgical trays, all to
prevent holes, tears, and rips in the sterilization wrap. These facts are
acknowledgement that every hospital and surgery center currently is
having problems getting holes, rips, & tears in the sterilization wrap.
Surgical towels are placed on the top & bottom of the surgical tray, before the
tray is wrapped with the sterilization wrap, before steam sterilization, to wick
moisture from the instruments and the metal tray during the steam sterilization
process. The moisture is evenly distributed on the towel, which is to ensure the
towel, instruments, and tray will be dry after the drying period. Surgical trays are
heavier than ever before. The weight of the tray, compresses the surgical towels,
and may not always dry completely. The Aveeo will raise the surgical tray and
keep the weight off the surgical towel, which will ensure better drying.
A manufacturer of disposable sterile wrap (Kimberly-Clark), provide hospitals and
surgery centers (at no charge), plastic carrying trays to place and carry a
wrapped surgical tray. During a fast paced day in the OR, the staff will not take
the time to find a plastic carrying tray. Which are seldom available when needed
anyway. This is a problem.
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General Hospital Supply Corporation and Cygnus Medical both manufacture a
disposable foam surgical tray corner protector. They sell for around $0.83 for
each corner protector or $3.32 per surgical tray. These foam disposable corner
protectors are not biodegradable, which has been a concern by some customers.
But, the most concerning problem, some customers have had, is they wick
moisture and remain wet after the drying period of the steam sterilization
process. Not every hospital or surgery center has had this problem, how ever,
the concern, is that even if the corners of the sterile wrap aren’t noticeably wet,
is there still moisture, which leaves the concern of water born pathogens.
Before showing the Aveeo Surgical Tray Corner Protector, confirm that the
hospitals or surgery centers, acknowledge they currently have problems in
getting holes, tears, or rips caused by the surgical tray corners, heavy surgical
trays, and improper handling techniques by their staff. The OR nurse manager,
OR nurse specialty team leaders/coordinators (try OR Orthopedic nurse team
leader/coordinator), SPD managers, and possibly the infection control
department (contaminated surgical trays must be documented) will know if they
currently have a problem. Once it is confirmed they have a problem, you now
have the knowledge and can provide them a solution to help prevent holes,
tears, or rip’s in the corners of their wrapped surgical trays and save them
money.
For your initial sales call in a hospital or surgery center, I suggest meeting with
the OR Nurse Manager or the OR Orthopedic Nurse Team Leader. They will know
if they currently are having a problem. When the OR staff has a Sterile Wrapped
Surgical Tray that is contaminated due to a hole, rip, or tear, it is frustrating and
time consuming, and they want to get the problem solved. So, they typically, will
tell you if they have a problem.
Your next sales call should be with the Sterile Processing (SPD) Manager. They
should also know if they have a problem. Most will be happy to find a solution,
however, some may not initially admit they have a problem, but they still, they
have a problem and want a solution.
The main hesitation you will hear is, that the Aveeo Corner Protectors will be
thrown away, by accident, by the OR staff, which lowers the number of times the
Aveeo Corner Protector is reused and makes their cost per use higher. The main
response, you should point out, is the cost created by a contaminated surgical
tray, is far greater than the cost of using the Aveeo Corner Protectors.
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Costs associated with one (1) Contaminated Surgical Tray in
the OR:

Cost of reprocessing contaminated surgical tray. (costs will vary
from each facility)
1. Labor: $11.96
2. Materials: $2.23
3. Sterile Wrap: $2.96
4. Utilities: $1.05
5. Depreciation and Service: $1.89
Total: $20.09

Cost of the loss of contaminated “Soft-Goods” (disposable
drapes, gauze, cotton balls, disposable syringes etc…) that was in the
surgical tray.
Examples of actual “Soft-Goods” costs in some basic surgical trays:
1. Basic Lap Chole Tray: $49.67
2. Basic Total Knee Tray: $91.58
3. Basic Total Hip Tray: $91.38
4. Basic Arthroscopy Tray: $62.00

Cost of replacing contaminated surgical tray with a new
sterile surgical tray: (costs will vary from each facility)
1. Processing Cost: $20.09
2. Replacement of “Soft-Goods”: $50.00 (Cost varies depending on
the type of tray contaminated)

Cost of “Turning Over” operating room if considered
contaminated (Be careful with this statement, if they challenge you on
this statement, know your facts!)
1. Labor: $3.33 (Based on 10 minutes of two (2) employees time at
$10.00/hour each)
2. Replace Contaminated Disposables: $30.00 (Based on cost of loss
of contaminated disposables and cost of replacement disposables)
(Cost varies depending on what contaminated disposables were
replaced)
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Cost of delaying surgery and any surgeries that follow in that
OR suite (Again, be careful with this statement also! Know your facts!)
1. OR Time: $200.00 (Based on OR Time cost of $20.00/minute for
ten (10) minutes). (OR Time Cost will vary by facility)
2. Surgeons & OR Staffs Time (Anesthesiologist or Anesthetist, Scrub
Nurse or Technician, Circulating Nurse, and other Staff): To be
determined by each facility.

Possible cost of one (1) Contaminated Surgical Instrument
Tray due to a corner rip or tear: $140.18 to $373.51
Suggest and/or remind the SPD staff the importance of training the OR (on a
regular basis) from throwing away the Aveeo Corner Protectors by accident. To
ensure the Aveeo Corner Protector is easily seen, it is a bright lavender, which is
a color not typically seen in the OR suite.
On www.aveeoprotectors.com there will be a poster that states “Aveeo Corner
Protectors are reusable, do not discard” anyone can download and print. The OR
and/or SPD staff can post this in the OR suites as a reminder not to throw away
the Aveeo Corner Protectors. Use this only as a last resort!
The www.aveeprotectors.com website address is printed on the side of each
Aveeo Corner Protector.
Every Sterile Surgical Tray is to be inspected by the OR staff for holes, rips, or
tears in the sterilization wrap to determine if the tray is contaminated. As a
rhetorical question, ask your customer, how often does the inspection get
overlooked, in a busy and hectic OR. Be careful with this statement as well! You
are not looking for an answer, you are just pointing out the possibility! Don’t back
them in a corner!
If your customer wants to evaluate the Aveeo Corner Protectors before they
purchase, we encourage it. However, if a customer is truly interested, they won’t
mind purchasing an Aveeo AV-5758-S Sample box of 8 each for $75.20/bx. Your
customer will take ownership in the evaluation and you will have a higher
percentage of success closing the sale.
The AV-5758-1 Small Quantity box is $488.80 for 52 each/box. AveeoMedix
priced this box to be under $500.00, because most departments have a $500.00
spending limit per item purchase, without having to get approval.
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Commission Potential for a Hospital/Surgery Center:
Based on 50 Surgeries per Day:
Times ea. Aveeo used Total Sales/yr. (base 240 days) You’re Commission?
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$112,800
$
5
$90,240
$
10
$45,120
$
15
$30,080
$
The Aveeo Corner Protectors are latex Free.
650 Pleasant View Road
Chanhassen, MN 55317
952-470-8988 PH
952-470-8886 FX
info@aveeomedix.com
www.aveeomedix.com
www.aveeoprotectors.com
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