ClearCount Medical Solutions' SmartSponge System wins "Best of What's New" award

ClearCount Medical Solutions, an innovator of patient safety solutions for the operating room, announced today that the editors of Popular Science have named the SmartSponge® System one of the top technology innovations of 2009. As a winner off a “Best of What’s New” award in the health category, the SmartSponge System stands out as the first and only system to incorporate the efficiency of counting with the safety of detection for the prevention of left-behind sponges during surgery.

“We are honored to be recognized by Popular Science Magazine as a company that is making revolutionary strides in the improvement of patient safety and productivity in the operating room,” said David Palmer, ClearCount’s President and CEO. “This award is a reflection of our entire team’s passion and commitment in making a positive impact on the lives of patients, surgeons and OR nurses worldwide.”

Each year, the editors of Popular Science review thousands of products in search of the top 100 tech innovations of the year; breakthrough products and technologies that represent a significant leap in their categories. The winners - the Best of What's New - are awarded inclusion in the much-anticipated December issue of Popular Science, the most widely read issue of the year since the debut of Best of What's New in 1987.

“For 22 years, Popular Science has honored the innovations that surprise and amaze us − those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our views of what’s possible in the future,” said Mark Jannot, Editor-in-Chief of Popular Science. “The Best of What’s New Award is the magazine’s top honor, and the 100 winners − chosen from among thousands of entrants − represent the highest level of achievement in their fields.”

The SmartSponge System is the first and only system to incorporate the efficiency of counting with the safety of detection for the purpose of preventing a retained object during surgery. The SmartSponge System is the only system to provide continuous vs. episodic counting. Providing an average of 80,000 counts per procedure, this continuous counting benefit makes the difference in complex surgeries where shift changes and delays often occur, as well as providing valuable assurance in every surgical case.