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The UltraCW® II Automatic Cell Washing System from Helmer Scientific is easy to unpack and set up. The Quick Reference Guide that is shipped with the UltraCW® II provides complete installation instructions. To make set up even easier, we have also developed a video that walks...

Immunohematology is the study of red blood cell antigens and antibodies associated with blood transfusions. It focuses on finding compatible blood components as well as identifying causes of incompatibility between donor and patient blood. The field of immunohematology helps...

Maintaining an adequate blood supply is critical to ensuring that all patients can receive life-saving treatment when needed. But there are constant challenges as blood suppliers endeavor to make sure that supply is enough to meet demand. A couple of interesting new...

Remote storage of blood products at the point-of-use can be an efficient means of providing life-saving therapy when and where it is needed. For example, a hospital might store uncrossmatched Type O blood and thawed plasma in the Emergency Department for trauma patients. This...

Photo courtesy of health.mil, the official website of the Military Health System

Research into blood transfusion began back in the 17^th century, with experimentation continuing into the 19^th century, when the A, B, and O blood groups were discovered. Early in the 20^th century it...

National Blood Donor Month has taken place during the month of January since 1970. During this time, the generosity of volunteer donors is celebrated, and efforts are made to raise awareness of the need for blood donations. January is one of the most challenging times to collect...

Conventional cooling technology has been used in medical-grade refrigeration for many years. However, technological advances have been developed that now make it possible to minimize energy usage while at the same time achieving optimal temperature management. In addition to...

Blood centers are responsible for the storage and management of rare red blood cells (RBCs). AABB Standards state that rare RBCs should be stored below -65C for up to 10 years. These rare units may even be kept indefinitely due to their scarcity and value. Protecting rare blood...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a draft guidance document entitled “Bacterial Risk Control Strategies for Blood Collection Establishments and Transfusion Services to Enhance the Safety and Availability of Platelets for Transfusion.” (The new version...

Laboratories rely on ultra-low temperature storage to protect sensitive (and in some cases, irreplaceable) samples from being exposed to unacceptable temperatures. When evaluating various ultra-low freezers, it is important to know what to look for. There are critical design...