Budgeting for a WETLAB
2x O’Regan tables £380
These are height adjustable and fold flat for storage.
2x Sets of instruments £800
2x Lamps £20-£100
Either cheap desk lamps or ones with ring fluorescent tubes
LCD screen with sound and DVD player plus PC input £1200
Wall bracket for Screen £200
This price includes installation.
Visualiser £8,500.00
Cheaper options are available however we would only ever recommend the purchase of Wolfvision visualisers as they provide the very best in quality and also provide illumination within confined areas for instance inside a cavity of a heart allowing viewers to see the heart valve leaflets.
Freezer £300
A good size freezer is needed to hold viable amounts of tissue.
Fridge £200
Used to store tissue prior to its use.
Dish washer £350
Used to clean instruments after use
Sink to wash tissue and another for hand washing
I am repeatedly told that its not possible to have a sink or dish washer due to the remoteness from the drains but with modern pumped drainage its possible to have them almost anywhere. As a plumber about a Saniflow type system www.saniflo.co.uk .
Disposable wetlab stations £12 each
These may be available free of charge from your Sorin representative.
Consumables (you have most of this available from within the hospital)
Aprons
Gloves
Sharps bins
Scalpels (Disposable)
Table covers
Rubbish and tissue sacks
Tissue
Most tissue will be sent to you frozen. This can then be stored in your freezer and moved out and placed in cold water 4 hours before it’s needed. Warm or even hot water can be used if it is needed quickly but this does change the nature of the tissue.
Prices
Pig hearts £ 7.50
Sow hearts £ 10.00
Calf hearts £12.00
Ureters £ 3.00
Aortas £ 3.50
Prices for other tissue available are on request.
Please note prices do not include shipping.
Sutures
You may be able to obtain a supply from your local suture rep however these companies are becoming less and less helpful so I would expect to have to budget for the purchase of enough stock to start off the project and hope to top up the stocks with part used packs from theatre and the odd donation from the rep.
The cost of sutures per aortic/mitral replacement is around £50 with ethibond or £20 with Prolene. Valve repair uses around £35 in sutures
Disposal of tissue
As a medical centre you more than likely have excellent provision for the disposal of the tissue used in the wetlab however it is worth checking.
Obviously the amount of tissue for disposal would rise with the use of a permanent wetlab facility and a procedure should be thought of for its disposal.
Cleaning and monitoring
The emphasis will be on the person who uses the facility to clean away afterwards. Some times this falls down and problems occur leaving the project in jeopardy.
One way round this is to not only log all users but to install a digital hard drive video surveillance camera system in the room which aids security The system records non stop and does not have tapes or anything changed after about a ten days it would start to record over its own memory and provides proof of use of use etc. Generally people don’t forget to clean away if they know they will be seen. The cost of a video hard drive system would be around £400.
All prices are estimations and for guide only.
Wetlab Ltd is more than happy to assist if you need any more information or help.
If you have any questions please contact us: info@wetlab.co.uk