Equipment and Quality Control

Immunohematology | Laboratory

Immunohematology

It is the study of RBC antigens and antibodies associated with blood transfusion.

Biosafety

This must be observed for protection of donors, staff, and transfusion recipients.

True

TRUE OR FALSE?

Personal protective equipment should be used as appropriate, and all blood and blood products should be verified tests prove otherwise.

Quality Control

This ensures that the blood bank processes will reliably deliver safe, accurate testing of blood and blood products.

1. Blood Refrigerators

2. Plasma & Cryoprecipitate Freezers

3. Plasma & Platelet Agitator

4. Platelet Agitator with Incubator

5. Refrigerated Centrifuge

6. Blood Cold Chain Devices

Enumerate the six (6) blood storage equipments.

Blood Refrigerator

The purpose is of this equipment is to store whole blood and red cells at +2 °C to +6 °C.

1. Preset Alarm Points (+1.5 °C and +5.5 °C).

2. Thermal Glass Door (to view the contents from the outside).

What are the ideal design features of a BLOOD REFRIGERATOR?

+1.5 °C and +5.5 °C

What are the temperatures of the PRESET ALARM POINTS in a Blood Refrigerator?

To view the contents of the blood refrigerator from the outside.

What is the purpose of a THERMAL GLASS DOOR in a Blood Refrigerator?

Plasma Freezer

This equipment is suitable for the storage of Plasma (FFP) and Cryoprecipitate and is expected to operate at a temperature of BELOW –30 °C

Compression Type Plasma Freezer

What is the other name for Plasma Freezer?

• Plasma (FFP)

• Cryoprecipitate

Compression Type Plasma Freezers or simply Plasma Freezers are suitable for the storage of?

The main difference between a blood refrigerator and a plasma freezer is the temperatures that they are capable of maintaining.

Blood Refrigerator: +2 °C to +6 °C.
Plasma Freezer: below –30 °C

What is the MAIN DIFFERENCE between a blood refrigerator and a plasma freezer?

1. Preset Alarm Points (-25°C and - 40°C; ensuring plasma remains frozen).

2. Solid Insulated Doors (to maintain ultra-low temperatures).

What are the ideal design features of a PLASMA FREEZER?

To ensure that the plasma stays frozen.

What is the purpose of the preset alarm points of PLASMA FREEZERS?

To maintain ultra-low temperatures.

What is the purpose of the Solid Insulated Doors of PLASMA FREEZERS?

Plasma & Platelet Agitator

This equipment continually agitates platelet units in a room with an AMBIENT TEMPERATURE between +20 °C and +24 °C.

+20 °C and +24 °C.

What is the AMBIENT TEMPERATURE that must be maintained when using platelet agitators?

60 mL of plasma

Platelet Concentrates are usually suspended in ______ mL of ______.

1. Flatbed (with horizontal and vertical agitation)

2. Number of Strokes

   • Strokes/minute: 65 to 75

   • Amplitude/stroke: 3.6 cm to 4.0 cm

What are the deal design features of PLASMA & PLATELET AGITATORS?

• Strokes/minute: 65 to 75

• Amplitude/stroke: 3.6 cm to 4.0 cm

What is the NUMBER OF STROKES and AMPLITUDE PER STROKE that must be maintained by Plasma & Platelet Agitators?

Platelet Agitator in an Incubator

This equipment continually agitates platelet units INSIDE OF AN INCUBATOR with a CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE between +20 °C and +24 °C.

+20 °C and +24 °C

What is the CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE maintained by a Platelet Agitator in an Incubator.

1. Preset Alarm Points (+20 °C and +24 °C).

2. Audio-visual Alarms with Batter Back-up

3. Number of Strokes

   • Strokes/minute: 65 to 75

   • Amplitude/stroke: 3.6 cm to 4.0 cm

What are the ideal design features of a PLATELET AGITATOR IN AN INCUBATOR?

False

The only difference between the two is the presence of the incubator (and therefore, preset alarm points and audio-visual alarms).

TRUE OR FALSE?

The number of strokes and amplitude of a platelet agitator differs from the number of strokes and amplitude of a platelet agitator with an incubator.

• Strokes/minute: 65 to 75

• Amplitude/stroke: 3.6 cm to 4.0 cm

What is the NUMBER OF STROKES and AMPLITUDE PER STROKE that must be maintained by Platelet Agitators in an Incubator?

Refrigerated Centrifuge

This equipment is manufactured for the separation of Plasma, WBC, and Platelets from whole blood.

1. Plasma

2. WBC

3. Platelets

The refrigerated centrifuge is used for the separation of the following components from whole blood:

1. Digital Thermometer (-20°C and +99°C).

2. Programmable Time Control with Automatic Stop

What are the ideal design features of a REFRIGERATED CENTRIFUGE?

-20°C and +99°C.

What is the range of the digital thermometer in a REFRIGERATED CENTRIFUGE?

“P-B-I-T-B”

1. Plasma Thawer

2. Blood Transport Box

3. Ice Packs, Cooling Plates, & Pouches

4. Temperature Monitoring Devices

5. Blood Warmers

Enumerate the five (5) Blood Cold Chain Devices

Plasma Thawer

The purpose of this equipment is to agitate frozen products to enhance thawing.

1. Specially Designed Waterbath (+37°C)

2. Audio-visual Alarms (to detect if temperature is out of range and low water level)

What are the ideal design features of a PLASMA THAWER?

To detect:

• Temperature is out of range

• Low water level

What is the purpose of AUDIO-VISUAL ALARMS in a Plasma Thawer?

Blood Transport Box

The purpose of this equipment is to ensure that the cold life of blood units is maintained (during transport).

1. Specially Designed to Maintain Internal Temperature between +2°C and +10°C for at least 24 hours.

2. Light weight, Secure, Lockable.

What are the ideal design features of a BLOOD TRANSPORT BOX?

+2°C to +10°C for at least 24 hours

Blood Transport Boxes maintain blood units at a temperature of ________ for a duration of ________

Ice Packs, Cooling Plates. & Pouches

This equipment is to be used in combination with transport boxes for safe movement of blood.

Ice packs cannot come into contact with RBC units because they can cause FREEZING, leading to HEMOLYSIS, and making the blood unsafe for transfusion

Why can’t ice packs come into contact with RBC units?

0.4 L and 0.6 L

What is the standard size of a pre-filled ice pack?

+20 °C and +24 °C (for platelets)

What temperatures do cooling plates and pouches maintain?

1. Portable Thermometer

2. Digital Electronic Probe

3. Temperature Recorder or Thermograph

4. Temperature Data Logger

Enumerate the four (4) temperature monitoring devices.

Graduated Small Bore Alcohol Thermometers

This temperature monitoring device is an example of a PORTABLE THERMOMETER.

-10°C to +110 °C

What temperatures can a PORTABLE THERMOMETER read?

Digital Electronic Probe

This type of thermometer can be portable with temperature probes and LED temperature display or fixed onto equipment with LED temperature display and visual/audible alarm systems.

Temperature Recorder or Thermograph

This type of thermometer can provide a permanent record of the temperatures achieved at any time in cold chain equipment.

Temperature Data Logger

This type of thermometer uses computer software to record the temperature.

Blood Warmer

This equipment is used to deliver blood to hospital ward at a temperature between +2°C and 10°C.

Blood must be warmed during rapid transfusion to (1) avoid complications such as CARDIAC ARRYTHMIA and HYPOTHERMIA, and (2) increase the oxygen-delivering capabilities of RBCs.

Why must blood be WARMED in cases of RAPID TRANSFUSIONS?

1. Shelf Life: at least one year of use.

2. Should be received in cold chain.

3. Should contain a preservative to minimize contamination.

4. Should be stored in a refrigerator at 2- 8°C.

5. Should be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

What are the considerations when SELECTING ANTISERA?

At least one year of use

Shelf Life of ANTISERA should be ___________.

Refrigerated at 2- 8°C.

What is the storage requirement of ANTISERA?

1. Appearance

2. Specificity

3. Potency

4. Avidity

Enumerate the four (4) specifications required for ANTISERA.

• Clear

• No turbidity, precipitate, or particles on visual inspection

What should be the APPEARANCE of antisera?

It should present a CLEAR-CUT REACTION with RBC bearing he corresponding antigens.

How does an antisera show SPECIFICITY?

Potency

This refers to the highest dilution of the antisera at which the macroscopic agglutination is seen at strength of 1+

Avidity

This refers to the overall strength of reaction between antigen and antibody.

is measured by the time duration (s) for the appearance of macroscopic agglutination.

How is AVIDITY measured?

1. Automatic Pipettors

2. Pipette Tips

3. Test Tubes

4. Glass Slides

List the (4) Materials for ABO Typing.

1. A & B Antisera

2. Known Cells

3. Saline (0.9% Isotonic NSS)

List the (3) Reagents for ABO Typing.

1. Centrifuge

2. Stop Watch

List the (2) Equipment for ABO Typing.