Platelet Rotators

[ajf1007]

I'm hoping that since you all are the experts, you can give me a indication as to how many of you use Platelet Rotators in your lab and what types of Platelet Rotators do you use (ie: incubated or bench top). Thank you for your help!!

Hi All, I'm hoping you - the experts - can help me get an understanding as to how many of you utilize Platelet Rotators in your lab and if you do, which type (ie: incubated or benchtop). I appreciate your help!

[adiescast]

We use flatbed agitators in a dedicated incubator.

[L106]

Same here.

[ajf1007]

I appreciate you both responding. Can you tell me if there is a benefit to shaking platelets vs rotating and is the shaking most preferred?

[adiescast]

The technology seems to be leaning toward the flatbed agitators, although it may be in part because the pheresis products fit better than in the tumblers and the flat beds work better in the incubators. I have never heard of a benefit of one over the other in terms of the platelet product health.

[L106]

We've got a bunch of different terminology going on here. (I'm not sure if we are all describing the same things.)

I remember reading studies years ago that agitation (ie: gentle "side-to-side", or "back & forth" motion) on a flatbed agitator seemed to be better for the platelets than "rotating" them, but I certainly don't remember the details or the source.

Donna

[ajf1007]

That is very interesting and I appreciate the feedback. We are in the process of developing some products for the blood bank market. I am trying to understand the uses and benefits of the current products in the market so that we can decide on what products to develop. One of the products we were looking at was a platelet rotator and trying to understand if we should go with the larger side to side motion with temperature control or a benchtop rotator that does not have temperature control. All of your feedback is so helpful!

I know cost is a large issue in any lab so trying to develop products that meet your needs and are useful is our priority. I don't want to develop something that is of no use to you.

[Deny Morlino]

From a small community hospital perspective, we can't dedicate the space or resources to a plasma incubator. We do not routinely keep platelets on hand, but when we do order them, we need a method of maintaining agitation. Currently we use a very old Fisher Scientific Platelet Mixer model 348. It is adequate for our needs. Not even sure what sort of room temp benchtop units are even manufactured at this point. Hope this adds a bit of perspective.

[carolyn swickard]

As stated earlier - it is somewhat difficult to get the newer platelet pheresis products (especially the doubles) into the old style platelet rotators. The flat-bed agitators are just easier to place the big , skinny units on and have them flat, breathing on 2 full surfaces and easy to get out. Some of the older platelet rotators were "modified" to hold the pheresis units by "cutting " out some of the partitions - leaving sharp edges that can cut the pheresis units when pulled out in a hurry, or making the partitions so large the units fall out. Also, in our case, in order to have return (consignment) priviledges for platelets, we have to store them in a platelet incubator that records temps 24/7. If the incubator goes down , we still have a benchtop temp monitor with a 7 day chart, but they wouldn't let us use that for long - they prefer the incubator. Ours is a Helmer and is over 10 years old with only one repair to the flatbed agitator, which, frankly, goes 24/7.

[adiescast]

Some of the decision on whether or not to get an incubator should also rest on how stable your room temperature is and how reliably your techs take 4 hour temperatures. I have seen many small places cited for storing platelets out of temperature or failing to monitor the temperature. Room temperatures are notoriously unstable.