Surgical sponge detection company ClearCount Medical Solutions has raised $1.5 million, according to a regulatory filing.
Pittsburgh-based ClearCount has been quiet on the fundraising front since August 2010, when it announced a $5 million series B round of investment led by Draper Triangle Ventures.
ClearCount Medical has developed the SmartSponge and SmartWand systems, which use radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology and chips embedded in sponges to allow surgeons and nurses to detect and count sponges during operations.
ClearCount’s latest funding comes in the form of options and debt and was sourced from one investor, according to the regulatory filing.
Surgical sponges are the most frequent and dangerous “retained surgical items” (RSIs) that are mistakenly left inside patients.
ClearCount says its products can reduce or eliminate preventable hospital costs and delays associated with RSIs, including additional surgery and infection costs, litigation and unnecessary X-rays.
Earlier this year, ClearCount released a new product, the SmartSponge Flex, which features improved design for OR use, according to the company.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
ClearCount has at least two major competitors that take different approaches to surgical sponge detection: SurgiCount Medical uses bar-coding technology and RF Surgical Systems uses electronic surveillance technology.
ClearCount CEO David Palmer didn’t immediately return a call.
