The Covidien supplies consist of hand held surigical staplers, stapler reloads, stylets, tracheal tubes, and ancillaries. The skin stapler is a sterile, single patient use instrument designed to deliver rectangular, stainless steel staples for routine wound closure during surgical procedures. Stylets are used inside an endotracheal tube to give it a certain shape which aids navigation of the tube towards the laryngeal inlet. Then withdraw the stylet, or ask an assistant to do so, while holding the tube steady before advancing it further into the trachea. A tracheal tube is a catheter that is inserted into the trachea for the primary purpose of establishing and maintaining a patent airway and to ensure the adequate exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

This purchase is exempt from the usual selection processes of the Procurement Code because the procurement expenditure is for medical supplies or medical services necessary for the delivery of care and treatment at medical, dental, or veterinary teaching facilities utilized by SIU or U of I (30 ILCS 500 / 1-13(b-5)) Covidien USA miscellaneous medical supplies have to do with direct patient care. Without these supplies the Hospital would not be able to offer certain surgical procedures that in turn would drive patients else where and result in a loss of revenue to the Hospital.