There are two very different scenarios regarding Blood Transport in the Medical Environment.
- Transport within hospital – usually for an individual patient in a specific location by Medical Personnel.
- Transport between facilities i.e. From Hema-Quebec to Hospital and from Hospital to Hospital via courier or transport.
We have products that are suitable for both situations.
- Transport within Hospital:
The product I would recommend for this situation is our 13 Quart (12Litre) Blood Bank Cooler: Item Number 5318M5
https://www.medicus-health.com/blood-bank-cooler-13-qt.html
This 13-quart blood bank transport cooler box can hold up to 6 units of blood or other specimens as well as three ice packs. Cooler has been validated to hold temperature for at least 8 hours under normal hospital conditions. External Dimensions: 15"L x 10"W x 11"H.
Reasons to Purchase this item:
- Hard sides increase durability – will outlast any “soft” or Fabric based cooler.
- Recessed handle and flat top allow for stacking multiple coolers in a very small space (you can stack them eight high and only use one square foot of space floor.)
- Smooth “glossy” plastic exterior and interior are easy to clean and disinfect – labels attach easily and can be removed with no residue.
- Custom Labels (en Francais) can be ordered – or we can send the cooler blank for your own labelling needs.
- Cooler has been validated many times over and I have attached a recent Validation.
- This cooler can be used with Dry Ice – if necessary, but in hospital environment this is rarely, if ever, used because the products being transported within the facility are usually “ready for use”
Summary: Validated, Durable, Cleanable, Stackable.
- Transport Between Facilities:
The product I would recommend for this application would be our 45 Quart (42Litre) Wheeled Medical Transport Cooler: Item Number 5305M3
Maxi-Cool Rotomolded Wheeled 45QT Medical Transport Cooler (with a Convenient Telescopic Handle), goes beyond the minimum standard days of ice retention but up to 10 days or longer (if pre-cooled, kept in low: temps & UV index). Food grade safe, dry ice compatible and tough enough to endure whatever the medical environment throws your way.
Reasons to purchase this item:
- This item is basically an unbranded Yeti Cooler – hard sided ultra durable and will outlast any “soft” or Fabric based cooler.
- Has a large enough useful volume but can still be lifted by one person or two with a team lift – handles on both sides.
- Has a telescoping handle and rolling wheels to make transport of volume and mass easier especially as women make us a lot of the medical personnel.
- Smooth “glossy” plastic exterior and interior are easy to clean and disinfect – labels attach easily and can be removed with no residue.
- Custom Labels (en Francais) can be ordered – or we can send the cooler blank for your own labelling needs.
- This cooler can be used with Dry Ice – for transporting Fresh Frozen Plasma etc.
- Flat tops and bottoms allow for stacking – saves space in storage and during transport.
- Per Health Canada Blood Regulations Section 75b. 75(b) Shipping blood to another establishment or between different sites of the same establishment:
- During shipping to another establishment or between different sites of an establishment, if the blood or blood components are transported by someone other than an employee of the establishment, the shipping container must maintain the safety of the blood and blood components to ensure no tampering occurred that could affect the safety of the blood and blood components. A tamper-evident seal is one way of maintaining and verifying the integrity of the container. If a tamper-evident seal is used, the receiving establishment must verify the integrity of the tamper-evident seal upon receipt of the container.
- https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/biologics-radiopharmaceuticals-genetic-therapies/applications-submissions/guidance-documents/blood-regulations/guidance-document-blood-regulations.html#s75
- This cooler has a “Lockable” eyelet on both front corners to accept a Security Seal or a Padlock if you need that much security.
- Wheels have a metal Hub and bearing and will last a long time.
Summary: Durability, Lockability, Cleanability, Maximum temperature retention, Shippable.
Ice Packs:
Hard Side Hospital Ice Packs - 16 oz (450gram), Sold by The Each, 7"L x 4" Wx 1.5"D Item Number: 5318M7
https://www.medicus-health.com/hard-side-ice-pack-16oz.html
Hard Side Ice Packs, 32 oz (900gram), Sold by The Each, 7.5"L x 5.75" W x 1.5"D Item Number: 5318M8
https://www.medicus-health.com/hard-side-ice-pack-32-ounce.html
Flexible Specimen Ice Pack Blankets for coolers are designed to wrap around lab specimens, blood tubes, and containers to provide enhanced thermal protection of temperature-sensitive lab products. Dimensions: 16.75"L x 11.25"W -Item Number: 2933M1
https://www.medicus-health.com/specimen-ice-blankets.html
Author: Dave Haagsma MT(ASCP), MBA
