Blood Storage Temperature Monitoring:
Preserving Blood Product Efficacy & Safety

Reducing Risks in Blood Storage & Handling

In recent years, the infectious risks in transfusion blood have greatly decreased thanks to better record keeping and donor screening. Non-infectious risks, such as blood product storage, transport and processing methods are more complex.

Increasingly, blood banks and clinical research facilities are seeking more accurate, automated means for monitoring and mapping temperature in blood storage and blood processing areas. Blood products used for epidemiological studies, bio-technical research or banked for transfusion purposes must not only be processed, stored, and shipped to preserve their efficacy and safety, all parameters of storage must be recorded and reported for Quality Assurance.

To meet the QA standards and regulatory requirements of the FDA and The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) and save time and costs, blood storage and handling protocols must be automated wherever possible. Automation also helps eliminate the risk of human error.

Temperature Monitoring & Alarming for Blood Storage

Methods of Blood Storage Monitoring, Reporting & Validation

From chart recorders, to pen & paper manual systems, to centralized monitoring or thermocouple-based validation tools, there are numerous ways to ensure blood storage temperatures are within specifications.

Each method has inherent advantages and disadvantages. An understanding of these risks can help blood repository directors find a cost and time effective system for ensuring blood product quality.

Maintaining compliant and complete records for temperature storage in refrigerators and freezers are key to ensuring quality and meeting regulations. While centralized systems can use network technology to monitor storage temperatures, if there is a power failure or the network goes down for any length of time, critical temperature data during the disrupted period will be irrevocably lost.

Simplicity— but not at the cost of Information

A Fail-safe Solution: 24/7 Alarming, Gap-free data

This is where Veriteq's continuous monitoring solution, viewLinc™, provides a fail-safe method of ensuring blood storage temperature data is never lost. The browser-based system uses self-powered recorders with independent memory.

Veriteq's data recorders continue to operate if any power source or network connection is interrupted, making critical temperature data immune to network or power failures.

Ideal for continuous monitoring and equipment validation, Veriteq’s recorders features 10-year battery, on-board memory, and user-selectable alarming options including: email and text messaging to cell phone, flashing PC alert, buzzers, and dial out telephone notification.

Connects Seamlessly to Existing Networks

viewLinc uses your existing network, making it easier to install and deploy than any other system. Simply place the loggers, install the server software and begin monitoring via either wired (Ethernet/Power over Ethernet) or wireless (802.11 WiFi) connectivity.

Immune to network failures, with viewLinc you always have a full audit trail and comprehensive, customizable documentation that ensures compliance with all regulatory bodies including JCAHO, CAP, FDA (21 CFR Part 11) and AABB.

The viewLinc system is easily scalable from a single application to a whole facility. Because it's browser-based, any number of widely distributed remote locations can be monitored. Access temperature data from most standard Internet browsers. Use the data loggers to monitor or validate, or both.

For more information on current best practices for blood storage temperatures, visit the AABB's Summary of 21 CFR 640.4 on the Collection and Storage of blood.

To find out how Veriteq can create a blood storage temperature monitoring/validation system tailored to your requirements, please contact us.