Real-time analytics and tracking of surgical kits used in orthopedic procedures is what QMed Innovations Inc. has become known for. The business, based in Middletown, combines software with a device that allows medical device manufacturers to track, in almost real time, where their kits are located.
The system, called Quest tracking, is an internet-connected technology that allows manufacturers to optimize their assets, reduce the number of lost kits and direct them to where they are most needed, according to company officials.
Victor Nunes, the principal owner and founder, said his 10-employee company is concentrating now on orthopedic companies that produce both implants and kits for procedures ranging from hip and knee replacements to soft tissue corrections.
“Each product from each company has its own set of instruments. What we’re tracing is the instrument kits,” Nunes said.
The company’s technology provides live logistical data to its clients, allowing them to manage their field-based kits, which need to be deployed to hospitals for procedures.
“You can’t perform the surgery without them,” Nunes said. “These instruments are not sold; they’re on loan.”
The Quest tracking product was recently named a Gold Level award winner in the 2021 Edison Awards, recognizing innovation in the tracking, logistics and smart solutions category.
The product is the first asset-tracking solution that can withstand the high temperatures and pressure of the autoclave sterilization process, according to the company.
Nunes created QMed Innovations in Middletown in 2019, after leaving Johnson & Johnson. He located the business in Rhode Island “because I live here,” he said, laughing.
The company’s location, near Massachusetts, has afforded him an opportunity to recruit from both states. Most of his employees live in Rhode Island, with a few commuting from the Bay State.
The company is providing a logistical service for companies and medical device manufacturers that have to keep tabs on surgical kits that are in circulation, he said, so they can schedule a surgery appropriately.
Companies such as Johnson & Johnson, he said, can be responsible for tens of thousands of kits. This makes the tracking process seamless.
The technology uses an internet-connected device and a sophisticated algorithm, which transmits once a day to cloud-based software. The customer can then access this data.
“It tells them where everything is, every day,” Nunes said. “They need to know so they can plan the next surgery.”
OWNER: Victor Nunes, primary owner, with 10 shareholders
LOCATION: 1077 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Medical device logistics technology
EMPLOYEES: 10
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2010
ANNUAL SALES: WND
