Medline Industries, Inc. Release: ClearCount Medical Solutions SmartWand-DTX(TM) Captures 2010 Good Design(TM) Award

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ClearCount's SmartWand-DTX(TM), the 2010 GOOD DESIGN(TM) award winner, employs proprietary RadioFrequency IDentification (RFID) technology to enable OR personnel to both count and detect surgical sponges, thereby increasing staff efficiency and reducing the risk of retained sponge incidents.

MUNDELEIN, IL--(Marketwire - February 08, 2011) - ClearCount Medical Solutions, a leader in patient safety solutions, announced today it has won the 2010 GOOD DESIGN™ award for its SmartWand-DTX™. The system employs proprietary RadioFrequency IDentification (RFID) technology to enable OR personnel to both count and detect surgical sponges, thereby increasing staff efficiency and reducing the risk of retained sponge incidents. Now in its 60th year, the GOOD DESIGN Award is the world's oldest and most prestigious design competition.

The SmartWand-DTX is a portable device used in the operating room to aid OR staff with their manual sponge counts. Designed in conjunction with Daedalus and distributed by Medline Industries, it features a one button display console and a fully reusable wand that counts and locates RFID-tagged sponges to avoid the hazard of being accidentally retained in the body post-surgery. Key design aspects of the SmartWand-DTX include:

• System footprint reduced by 80% and hardware cost reduced by 70% vs. existing RFID systems, allowing more hospitals to adopt the most comprehensive technology at a lower cost.
• An easy to read display shows not only the quantity of detected items but also categorizes them by type.
• Improved ergonomics and lightweight reusable wand design allows the user to more easily scan the patient when searching for a retained item.
• Highly visible indicator lights on both the wand and console provides instant feedback to multiple clinicians and allows the user to pinpoint the location of a missing sponge.
• The system works seamlessly with existing OR protocols and materials, even providing electronic count verification of commonly used sponge counting bags.

With the introduction of the SmartWand-DTX, hospitals now have a more affordable option to prevent costly mistakes that injure patients and negatively impact hospitals and staff. The system is a complementary offering to ClearCount's award-winning SmartSponge System, recently recognized as one of the top 100 innovations of 2010.

The GOOD DESIGN Award is the most coveted design prize for innovative and advanced designs produced worldwide. With a record number of entries from 45 nations, submissions were judged by a jury of distinguished design professionals and industry specialists. All winning products and graphics will be exhibited at The Chicago Athenaeum Museum GOOD DESIGN Show in June, 2011.

For more information, please visit www.clearcount.com or www.medline.com.

About ClearCount Medical Solutions

ClearCount Medical Solutions is a medical device company focused on patient safety solutions. ClearCount has assembled an extendable RFID-based platform that provides a comprehensive solution to improve efficiency while preventing medical errors. ClearCount Medical Solutions has been recognized with a Popular Science 2009 Best of What's New Award, and has received additional recognition from TIME and WIRED magazines, the 2009 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award, the International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) and more. ClearCount's SmartSponge and SmartWand-DTX systems are the first RFID enabled systems for counting and detecting surgical sponges, thereby improving patient and OR safety, enhancing productivity, and reducing cost. To learn more, visit www.clearcount.com.

About Medline Industries, Inc.

Medline, the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products, manufactures and distributes more than 100,000 products to hospitals, extended-care facilities, surgery centers, home care dealers and agencies. Headquartered in Mundelein, Ill., Medline has more than 900 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services.