The Aveeo: Surgical Tray Corner Protector
The Aveeo:
The Aveeo is a reusable corner protector that prevents tearing of the sterilization wrap caused by
surgical trays that are heavy, with sharp corners, and are not handled properly by
hospital/surgery center staff (or the combination of all three parties).
The Problem:
In Hospitals, Surgery Centers, or other Health Care Facilities, surgical instruments must be
sterilized before use. Most surgical instruments are placed in a metal or plastic surgical trays,
wrapped in a sterilization wrap (example: “KimGuard” by Kimberly-Clark), then placed in an
autoclave to be sterilized. The problem (that may and does occur) is the bottom corners of the
surgical tray can create a tear or hole in the sterile wrap. This exposes the instruments in the
surgical tray, which results in the instrument set and its contents to be contaminated.
Sterilization Wrap:
Most disposable sterilization wrap is made of non-woven polypropylene and is available in a
variety of thickness. Most reusable sterilization wrap is made of 140-count (140 threads to the
inch) muslin. Both are susceptible to tearing or ripping.
Procedure for Handling Wrapped Surgical Trays:
The main reason for tears or rips in the sterile wrap is improper handling by the hospital/surgical
center staff. When picking up and moving a wrapped surgical tray, the procedure is to pick it
straight up without sliding it on the surface it is placed, and setting it down the same way. The
problem is, every time the wrapped surgical tray is moved (which can be many times), proper
handling procedure is not practiced. Surgical trays are also getting heavier, which makes it even
more difficult to practice proper procedure when moving. This results in tears and rips.
Inspecting the Wrapped Surgical Tray in the Operating Room:
In the OR, before surgery an OR nurse or technician will inspect the integrity of the sterilization
wrap to make sure there are not any tears, rips, or holes. If so, the surgical instruments and the
tray are considered contaminated and cannot be used.
AveeoMedix  650 Pleasant View Road Chanhassen, MN 55317  PH 952-470-8988  FX 952470-8886
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Cost & Consequences of a Contaminated
Surgical Tray to the Hospital:
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Cost of reprocessing contaminated surgical tray: (approximate examples)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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Labor: $11.96
Materials: $2.23
Sterile Wrap: $2.96
Utilities: $1.05
Depreciation and Service: $1.89
Total: $20.09
Cost of the loss of contaminated “Soft-Goods”
(Disposable drapes, gauze, cotton balls, disposable syringes etc…in the surgical tray)
Examples of actual “Soft-Goods” costs in some basic surgical trays:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Basic Lap Chole Tray: $49.67
Basic Total Knee Tray: $91.58
Basic Total Hip Tray: $91.38
Basic Arthroscopy Tray: $62.00
Cost of replacing contaminated surgical tray with a sterile surgical tray:
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:
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 loss of contaminated disposables and cost of replacement disposables)
***Cost varies depending on what contaminated disposables were replaced

Cost of delaying the surgery and any surgeries that follows in the OR suite: (approximate costs)
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.
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
Possible cost of one (1) contaminated surgical instrument tray due to a corner rip or tear:
$140.18 to $373.51
FRUSTRATION!!!
AveeoMedix  650 Pleasant View Road Chanhassen, MN 55317  PH 952-470-8988  FX 952-470-8886
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The Aveeo:
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Designed to:
1. Ensure correct positioning
2. Reduce moisture retention, ensure moisture to drain, and allows circulation
during sterilization.
i. Due to a Tilted Horizontal Base.
ii. Due to a series of Holes on the base.
iii. Due to Ribs on the base that:
1. Stand independently of each other
2. Raises the Aveeo from the surface it is placed on and raises the
surgical tray from the Aveeo
3. Supports the weight of the surgical tray
Reusable
Can be used with steam and/or gas sterilization-Including “Low Temperature Plasma
Sterilization ”
The color of the Aveeo is bright lavender to prevent it from being discarded on accident
AveeoMedix  650 Pleasant View Road Chanhassen, MN 55317  PH 952-470-8988  FX 952-470-8886
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