The new  Blood Temp10 Blood Bag Indicator has been designed and manufactured by Timestrip® in response to the need to reduce wastage of precious blood stocks, discarded through uncertainty around temperature breaches incurred when bags are in use and removed from carefully controlled refrigeration storage units in blood banks.

The World Health Organisation estimates that over 100 million blood donations are  collected globally every year and it is generally accepted that 2% of blood may be discarded as a result of temperature ambiguity.  

By adapting its highly accurate temperature monitoring technology Timestrip® has

been able to make a small, finger pressure activated label that can be applied to blood bags the moment they are taken out of refrigeration units and packed into cool boxes for use by theatre technicians or emergency response teams.

Once active, the labels show clearly and irreversibly when the core temperature of individual blood bags has breached the regulatory 10ᵒC/50ᵒF temperature abuse point, which stipulates that blood cannot be returned to the blood bank for future use.

Frontline blood bank teams using  Timestrip Blood Temp10 indicators are able to reissue good blood stocks which would have otherwise been disposed of, safe in the knowledge that  bacterial growth due to elevated temperatures has not compromised the blood during storage, transportation and distribution.

Significantly for the teams handling blood bags, there are no pre-usage processes or secondary consumable materials required, as is the case with other more expensive products on the market.

Commenting on results from field trials using the new Blood Temp10 indicators, Caroline Pieters, Haemovigilance Nurse at the AZ St Lucas Hospital in Gent, said

“The Timestrip blood indicators have helped us identify critical control points within our cold chain process where we were at risk of temperature abuse. After identifying and fortifying some critical control points we have achieved a reduction of blood waste and we are confident in our ability to offer a safe blood supply to patients. We see Timestrip temperature indicators as a significant step forward in the handling and management of blood temperature throughout the blood supply chain.”

Timestrip® estimates that blood banks reducing loss rates by 8% will see a 100% return on an investment in the adoption of the new Blood Temp10 indicators and that a conservative 25% reduction could double the return on purchase costs.

Timestrip Sales & Marketing Director Dan Hafen is confident the new Timestrip Blood Temp10 will transform the supply chain, stating:

“With proper implementation we estimate that blood banks, transporters and transfusion service provider will achieve significant savings as a result of adopting our temperature indicators and I encourage everyone to use the ROI calculator on our website for an estimate on the potential savings relevant to their usage levels.

In addition, our Blood Temp10 provides auditable proof that blood has been stored, transported and reissued properly and according to relevant regulatory standards.”