Heat Blocks

[MARINA]

Why is it necessary to take the temperatures of each well in a 37 degree heat block if the wells are held together on the same metal plate sitting on the same metal heating plate. Why can't we just have a temperature taken daily for the whole unit? Just wondering...

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

Sounds like complete overkill to me too.

I would have thought doing such a thing once every six months, or every year would have been sufficient, in the same way that you would not temperature map a fridge, freezer and/or incubator every day.

[John C. Staley]

I'm a little confused. Are you actually taking the temperature of each well every day?

Our practice was to check every well prior to putting a new heat block into service. After that we did a quadrant check quarterly. Daily we would document the temp on the electronic read out on the new ones. On the old ones we would document the temp on the thermometer and then put the thermometer in a different well.

Please reevaluate your practice. You are wasting a lot of time and effort.

:faint:

[David Saikin]

We do what John was used to . . . move the thermometer to a different well every day.

[MARINA]

We do what John was used to . . . move the thermometer to a different well every day.

This is exactly what we do. I keep hitting the thermometers and have broken several now. I was just wondering if everyone was still moving the thermometer to a different well daily when taking temps. I feel like it is over kill, but was unsure if there was a regulation?

[JOANBALONE]

Hi Marina,

What does the manufacturer recommend? We do not move the thermometer. No regulation that I am aware of suggests moving the thermometer around.

JB

[bduff]

If you keep track of what well you put it in then you could take it out during the day so it doesn't get broken.

[John C. Staley]

Personally I thought the "moving the thermometer around" was over kill. When I bought the new heat blocks they have an internat thermometer with a digital temp readout. We validated the internal thermometer and did away with the the thermometer in the well. We still did the quarterly qadrant check but at least we did away with the thermometers in the well and no more broken thermometers, at least in the heat blocks.

:juggle:

[Eagle Eye]

we do same as John and David.

[AMcCord]

If you must leave the thermometer in the heat block, water bath, whatever, I would suggest getting teflon coated thermometers. They are a bit more expensive, but they are much more break resistant. I've had good luck with them.

[MAGNUM]

We move the thermometer to a different position in the block each day, that way every 40 days or so we check the temps of each and every well. As to thermometers, either get the teflon coated as I have done or be careful, the price of the teflon coated could be very justified after breaking 2 or 3 regular thermometers.

[rravkin@aol.com]

Marina,

When you practice changing the thermometer daily through consecutive wells you are actually checking to see that the heat is distributed equally in all wells. A very good practice considering that all wells in your heat block are subject to use. I'm not sure of any regulations governing this practice but given the importance of the testing being performed do we really need an outside agency to direct us towards good practice? The wells in the heat blocks can collect debre over time causing an unequal distribution of heat and/or the heat element itself can wear over time causing the same problem. Equipment maintenance can seem like over kill until a problem occurs and a patient outcome is effected. So keep up the good practice of checking each well. I hope this helps a little. :)

[MARINA]

I understand what you are saying, but the particular heat block we just purchased has a well tube holder that is removable and reveals the one heat plate underneath. Since everything is metal, the heat will distribute evenly. Also, since you are only checking one particular well's temperature daily, then are you to question the other wells of that day? These well blocks are removable, and I remove them on our extra heat block to keep a saline bottle warm. What would happen is I returned the well block backwards. Then the thermometer was not in the correct place anyway. We also have processors that continually forget to move the thermometer after taking the temperature and techs that move the thermometers for their convenience. I was just trying to look at a standard of practice that would follow a proper quality and respected in daily use by personnel.

Marina,

When you practice changing the thermometer daily through consecutive wells you are actually checking to see that the heat is distributed equally in all wells. A very good practice considering that all wells in your heat block are subject to use. I'm not sure of any regulations governing this practice but given the importance of the testing being performed do we really need an outside agency to direct us towards good practice? The wells in the heat blocks can collect debre over time causing an unequal distribution of heat and/or the heat element itself can wear over time causing the same problem. Equipment maintenance can seem like over kill until a problem occurs and a patient outcome is effected. So keep up the good practice of checking each well. I hope this helps a little. :)

[DAWNA1983]

AABB inspector once told me that if the heat block was on the same circuit then you didnt have to move from well to well....just sayin.

Dawn Arnett

[rravkin@aol.com]

Marina,

I would check with the service rep of your equipment or the manufacturor to see if your practice would garantee equal distribution of heat over time.

[EDibble]

We got "dinged" by AABB the last time because we were not moving the thermometer with any regularity and recording different wells. Funny, because we hadn't done it for the 25 previous years I have worked here. We recently ditched the heating block as it was only our backup to a water bath which is a backup for our capture method. We have mothballed it, and will only bring it out if we need to.

As to breaking thermometers, we are switching over to digital ones. Much easier to read and no breakage!

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

We got "dinged" by AABB the last time because we were not moving the thermometer with any regularity and recording different wells. Funny, because we hadn't done it for the 25 previous years I have worked here. We recently ditched the heating block as it was only our backup to a water bath which is a backup for our capture method. We have mothballed it, and will only bring it out if we need to.

As to breaking thermometers, we are switching over to digital ones. Much easier to read and no breakage!

Have a care! One of our inspectors took a look at what was in our store cupboard and "dinged" us for 1. not throwing away what we are not using, or 2. not keeping that which we were keeping "just in case" up-to-date as far as being ready for use (i.e. temperature mapped, etc). I cannot post what I thought, otherwise Cliff would ban me from the site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:angered::angered:

[EDibble]

OK, I will bring this up to " 'da boss".

:salute: