THE HÄNEL ROTOMAT TURNS LIKE A FERRIS WHEEL INSIDE A BOX, TO MAXIMIZE STORAGE AREA WITHIN A MINIMAL FOOTPRINT
Most people are familiar with the concept of a Ferris wheel. Riders board at the bottom and circle the diameter of the ride, while the cars occasionally stop to allow other riders to board and disembark from the same location. This Ferris wheel ride is nothing more than a super-sized version of a vertical storage carousel and it can help a hospital’s sterile processing department in many ways.
A hospital’s sterile processing department holds a wide variety of instruments and supplies that need to be collected into trays and wraps and taken to the Operating Room. Therefore, storage and inventory accuracy are major concerns for hospital employees and administrators. If surgical trays and supplies cannot be found, or take a long time to find, not only does this cause potential problems with patients, but it could also lead to the reordering of costly supplies that have already been ordered and misplaced.
How easy would it be if hospital staff simply needed to hit a button and the appropriate supplies were brought to them, instead of having to search for them? This is where the Ferris wheel concept can revolutionize hospital inventory. A staffer can hit a button and the appropriate supply shelf is brought to them on a vertical carousel system much like that of the classic ride.
This method of storage and retrieval can be extremely valuable to a hospital’s SPD and OR, not only because it increases inventory accuracy, but it also boosts productivity. Items are easier to locate, and in a hospital, an extra five or ten seconds can make all the difference. The carousel can also provide more security for sensitive and valuable supplies by requiring a key code or other form of electronic security to access.
The Hänel Rotomat has revolutionized sterile storage for central processing and the operating room. The Rotomat makes use of a room’s full height to save floor space, allowing facilities to store more in their existing space. Enclosed storage provides protection and security, and advanced controllers can track expiration dates and restrict user access. Items are delivered directly to the user, which eliminates searching, reaching, stooping, and climbing to retrieve them.
And to think… all of that functionality is based on an amusement park ride!
