Tag Archives: Blood Temperature Indicator

RS Components introduces Timestrip indicators for convenient asset monitoring and maintenance

Smart chemistry provides accurate, intuitive, at-a-glance time or time/temperature alerts in a convenient single-use label

OXFORD, UK, July, 2015 – RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE:ECM), the global distributor for engineers, has introduced Timestrip time lapse indicators which are visual reminders for timely replacement or servicing and Timestrip PLUS temperature-threshold indicators, which enable convenient and cost-effective monitoring of temperature sensitive perishables.

Patent protected Timestrip time lapse indicators are activated with finger pressure and fixed like a label to the item being monitored. A red colour moves irreversibly against a scale to reach the end when the specified duration expires. 1, 3, 6, and 12-month versions are available, accurate to within ±15% (when used at room temperature), making them ideal for numerous professional and domestic applications. These include simple visual reminders to replace filters or other components in accordance with manufacturer-recommended cycles, or to perform regular maintenance such as heater descaling, inspection of electrical appliances, or servicing of industrial equipment.

Timestrip PLUS temperature-threshold indicators irreversibly show the length of time an item has been exposed above a pre-set temperature threshold. They are ideal for verifying compliance with regulated standards and are used widely for monitoring products whose quality or fitness for use is affected by excess temperature such as pharmaceuticals, perishables such as foodstuffs, and industrial or laboratory chemicals.  Temperature and time indications are accurate to within ±1°C and ±15% respectively.  They are inert until activated and each unit has a unique serial code, which helps manage large numbers of assets. Thresholds of 8C, 10C, 25C and 30C are available.

Compared to alternatives such as written maintenance sheets or electronic reminders, Timestrip indicators are direct, intuitive, and provide an instantaneous at-a-glance indication when action is due or if storage conditions have been breached. They are splashproof, can be stored unused at room temperature, and can be self-affixed to individual products or on packs or pallets.  These compelling and cost-effective indicators support efforts to maximise product quality or improve the performance and reliability of a wide range of equipment, resulting in better end-user experiences.

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About RS Components

RS Components and Allied Electronics are the trading brands of Electrocomponents plc, the global distributor for engineers. With operations in 32 countries, we offer more than 500,000 products through the internet, catalogues and at trade counters to over one million customers, shipping around 44,000 parcels a day. Our products, sourced from 2,500 leading suppliers, include electronic components, electrical, automation and control, and test and measurement equipment, and engineering tools and consumables.

Electrocomponents is listed on the London Stock Exchange and in the last financial year ended 31 March 2015 had revenues of £1.27bn.

For more information, please visit the website at www.rs-online.com.

Editorial Contacts:                                                            

Lisa Townsend

PR Manager – EMEA

RS Components

lisa.townsend@rs-components.com

+44 (0)1536 209026

Joanne Youson
Product Marketing PR Manager
RS Components
joanne.youson@rs-components.com
+44 (0) 1536 405752

PR Agency Contact:

Janice Fenton

Account Director

Publitek Technology PR

janice.fenton@publitek.com

+44 (0) 1225 470000

Further information is available via these links:

Twitter: @RSComponents; @alliedelec; @designsparkRS

RS Components on Linkedin

http://www.linkedin.com/company/rs-components

 

Relevant Links:

Electrocomponents plc

www.electrocomponents.com

RS Components

www.rs-online.com

DesignSpark

http://www.designspark.com

 

Timestrip to demonstrate Blood Temperature Indicator at the AABB Expo

If you are attending the Annual Meeting of the AABB – the CTTXPO in Denver, Colorado, starting Monday October 14th, we look forward to seeing you. We’ll be on booth 1654 with our partners Shockwatch, demonstrating our latest product innovation – the Blood Temp 10 indicator label.

We also have a speaker slot at the show, starting at 1.30pm on Monday 14th, where we will be presenting a  case study highlighting how temperature indicators not only help identify potentially heat damaged blood but also assist with identifying critical control points within your blood reissue compliance cycle (BRCC).

Timestrip Blood Temp 10

A study published by the American Journal of Clinical Pathology found that temperature sensitive labels for monitoring blood can help hospitals and blood banks conform to the American Association of Blood Banks and US Food and Drug Administration standards for safe human blood transportation and storage.

While many front-line teams rely on the “30 minute rule” for returning blood back into storage, using a temperature sensitive label ( blood temperature indicator ) can increase the safety of the blood life cycle, while reducing wastage.

They found:

“…these devices offer transfusion services an opportunity to develop and validate their own in-house procedures to supplement and, thereby, improve on decisions using the 30-minute rule. For example, if a unit of RBCs were overheated by placement on a hot surface (eg, microwave heater, radiator, or the top of a refrigerator) but returned within 30 minutes to the transfusion service, its potential unsuitability would not be identified by a transfusion service relying only on the 30-minute rule. However, such a potentially unsuitable unit would be likely to be recognized if a temperature-sensitive label had been in place. 

Also, procedures can be developed to use temperature-sensitive labels to avoid unnecessary and costly discards of blood components when storage for more than 30 minutes outside a temperature-monitored refrigerator raises questions about suitability.”

The adoption of our simple to use technology as a vital element of the BRCC compliant process will help deliver new levels of accountability across the RBC temperature management teams.  Front line teams know the value of clear, simple communication. Add in the fail-safe component of the Blood Temp 10 and the simplicity of use (including no additional pre-conditioning or expensive associated consumables) and they can see the real value of our technology.

In support of our latest technology we’re also presenting a paper on best practices for keep your blood supply safe in our Learning Lab, entitled “Before Good Blood Goes Bad.”

According to the WHO around 107 million blood donations are collected globally every year and it is generally accepted that 2% of blood may be discarded.  The use of suitable equipment and good management of blood cold chain are important means of minimizing losses and donated blood.

Visitors to our booth will be able to see the extent of savings achievable through the adoption of the Blood Temp 10 indicator label with our interactive Cost Calculator.

We invite you to join us and the ShockWatch team in Colorado next month and look forward to meeting members of the AABB.

Released by Timestrip 30/09/2013 http://www.timestrip.com/

blood temperature indicator