BlueView

Colleen Holtkamp

Helmer designs, manufactures, and markets specialized medical and laboratory equipment to customers in more than 125 countries. With an extensive background in Helmer products, Colleen’s focus is on the Clinical Laboratory and Blood Bank segments.

Recent Posts

Clinical Laboratory Cold Storage for COVID-19 Testing

Posted on Sep 29, 2020 by Colleen Holtkamp

Throughout 2020 clinical laboratories have worked diligently to scale up testing for COVID-19. Each test comes with the manufacturer’s Instructions for Use (IFU) which provide storage requirements for the samples and reagents. These materials must be stored within the correct...

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Visit Helmer Scientific at the AABB 2020 Virtual Meeting

Posted on Sep 22, 2020 by Colleen Holtkamp

At Helmer Scientific, we are looking forward to our 41st consecutive year of exhibiting at the AABB Annual Meeting. Come visit our virtual booth during the online event, to be held October 3-5, 2020.

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COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma: Regulatory Updates and Resources

Posted on Sep 16, 2020 by Colleen Holtkamp

There have been several recent developments regarding the use of convalescent plasma as a treatment for COVID-19. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization for COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) in August 2020. Subsequently, the FDA...

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How Clinical Laboratories Can Benefit from OptiCool™ Refrigeration Technology

Posted on Sep 09, 2020 by Colleen Holtkamp

Clinical laboratories depend on refrigeration to safeguard temperature-sensitive patient samples and reagents. Under performing cold storage units can jeopardize the accuracy of test results, put regulatory compliance at risk, and lead to financial losses.

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Bacterial Risk Control Strategies for Platelets

Posted on Sep 01, 2020 by Colleen Holtkamp

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its guidance document entitled “Bacterial Risk Control Strategies for Blood Collection Establishments and Transfusion Services to Enhance the Safety and Availability of Platelets for Transfusion” several months ago. Since that...

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Reducing Ultra-Low Freezer Service Costs in the Clinical Lab

Posted on Aug 26, 2020 by Colleen Holtkamp

Clinical laboratories depend on ultra-low freezers to store patient specimens within the correct temperature range. In the event of freezer warm-ups or the failure of a compressor, laboratories often must utilize a service company to diagnose the issue and repair a troubled...

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Video Demonstrates Benefits of Pro Line Platelet Storage

Posted on Aug 18, 2020 by Colleen Holtkamp

Reliable platelet storage is essential to blood centers and hospital transfusion services. Blood banks constantly face the challenge of making sure enough platelets are available to meet patient needs. This means it is essential to have a platelet storage system that users can...

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Meet CAP Transfusion Medicine Checklist Requirements with the i.C3 Event Log

Posted on Aug 11, 2020 by Colleen Holtkamp

The College of American Pathologists (CAP) released the 2020 edition of its Laboratory Accreditation Program checklists earlier this year. CAP assessors use the checklists during inspections to ensure laboratories are in compliance with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services...

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How Clinical Labs Can Benefit from Professional, Medical-grade Cold Storage

Posted on Aug 05, 2020 by Colleen Holtkamp

Patient specimens and reagents are temperature-sensitive and must be stored properly to ensure accurate test results. Clinical laboratories that implement medical-grade cold storage designed to maintain strict temperature ranges ensure the integrity of their reagents and...

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What Are Best Practices for Selecting Laboratory Freezers?

Posted on Jul 28, 2020 by Colleen Holtkamp

Helmer Scientific has been serving clinical laboratories for more than 40 years. Over time we have received questions about what is important in the design of a Laboratory Freezer. What is it about the freezer that makes it suitable for storing reagents and patient specimens?...

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Welcome

Welcome to the Helmer Blue View Blog. We aim to share relevant, actionable content for the blood bank, laboratory, and pharmacy. At Helmer Scientific WE CARE about you, the caregiver, and how we can help make your journey more meaningful.

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