We had a visit from a QUOTIENT Biodiagnostic sales rep selling ALBA Blood Bank reagents, have any of you used these? She said they make several of Ortho's products but are developing a line of Blood Bank reagents of there own. One interesting product is a do it yourself compliment control check cell kit. Thanks

Currently use their Anti -A, -B, and -D reagents for retypes mostly. Also use their Anti-D delta to detect -D VI in our cord bloods (direct agglutination vs. weak D protocol saves a good bit of tech time). Have been happy with the items we use here.

I use some of their rares - occasional backorders is the only problem I have encountered. Have also used their D typing panel.

Good range of anti-sera in terms of quality. All customers were satisfied. Recent price increase has lost 4 major tenders for us.

Really happy with them for customer service, price and quality!

If Alba are the same as Alba Bioscience, I can say that their Weak D/Partial D anti-D panel is superb.

Edited December 19, 201113 yr by Malcolm Needs
Typo - nothing new there, except fot the fact that I noticed it!

Alba Bioscience is Quotient Biodiagnostics in the USA.

If Alba are the same as Alba Bioscience, I can say that their Weak D/Partial D anti-D panel is superb.

We use their anti-D blend and control and like it fine. It is a bit more sensitive than we were used to and lately has been back-ordered but we have enough to get by it looks like.

For interest, Alba Bioscience began in Scotland in the 1940s as part of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service to manufacture blood typing reagents and was privatized in 2007.

http://www.quotientbd.com/about/history

Quotient Biodiagnostics Group was formed in 2009 to expand Alba's product reach internationally.

http://www.albabioscience.co.uk/en/page/quotient-group

Just for fun, attached is a 2012 price list in Canadian $ (currently ~par with the US $). That's if I managed to attach it. <8-)

No doubt these prices are like hotel 'rack rates' - no one but the naive or desperate ever pays them.

Cheers, Pat

UA: http://www.ualberta.ca/~pletendr/

TraQ: http://www.traqprogram.ca/

TM Blog: http://traq.blogspot.com/

We are considering purchasing the partial D and competency kits as well. Our local hospitals do not seem to like their ABO/Rh kits.

Reactions come off "sticky". Also, we are using buffered saline and their antisera requires unbuffered saline. How are you guys handling that, if you currently are using buffered saline cubes?

We are considering purchasing the partial D and competency kits as well. Our local hospitals do not seem to like their ABO/Rh kits.

Reactions come off "sticky". Also, we are using buffered saline and their antisera requires unbuffered saline. How are you guys handling that, if you currently are using buffered saline cubes?

We have used for well over a year, and like the Quotient ABORh very much. They do react a bit different than our past antisera, but once you get used to it they work very well - particularly the Rhs. The price is just SOOOO much better.

I haven't seen the same problem with buffered saline (we don't use the cubes), and I just checked one of the PIs, and I couldn't find the requirement to use unbuffered. Are you in Canada too? Is it possible the reagents are different there?

We have used for well over a year, and like the Quotient ABORh very much. They do react a bit different than our past antisera, but once you get used to it they work very well - particularly the Rhs. The price is just SOOOO much better.

I haven't seen the same problem with buffered saline (we don't use the cubes), and I just checked one of the PIs, and I couldn't find the requirement to use unbuffered. Are you in Canada too? Is it possible the reagents are different there?

Thanks for the info. Hmm let me double check the PIs they sent us. I am almost 100% certain that it requires unbuffered saline for antisera. No, we're not in Canada. We're in the US.

Our Quotient rep tells me that their anti-M (5 min) specifically requires unbuffered saline but all other antisera just isotonic.

That may be because most anti-M's react optimally at a pH of less than 7.2?????????????

That may be because most anti-M's react optimally at a pH of less than 7.2?????????????

That sounds logical! Thanks you all for responding.

We are considering purchasing the partial D and competency kits as well. Our local hospitals do not seem to like their ABO/Rh kits.

Reactions come off "sticky". Also, we are using buffered saline and their antisera requires unbuffered saline. How are you guys handling that, if you currently are using buffered saline cubes?

Please let me clear this up. As Technical Director for Quotient, i can definitively tell you that the ONLY Quotient anti-sera that requires unbuffered saline is the Anti-M. Package inserts from all other Quotient anti-sera list isotonic saline.

Please let me clear this up. As Technical Director for Quotient, i can definitively tell you that the ONLY Quotient anti-sera that requires unbuffered saline is the Anti-M. Package inserts from all other Quotient anti-sera list isotonic saline.

Just as a matter of interest, is this because most anti-M reagents work better at a slightly lower pH?

Just as a matter of interest, is this because most anti-M reagents work better at a slightly lower pH?

We are all familiar with human anti-M antibodies that react better at a lower pH, and human derived reagents may also react better at a lower pH, but this Quotient Anti-M is a murine monoclonal IgG. I am sure you are aware that monoclonals are not always logical in the way they react. This monoclonal reacts best at a pH of 8.5, and is extremely sensitive to pH. The buffers in saline (or alsevers), which work well to stabilize the saline pH, change (buffer) the pH of the test. The monoclonal anti-M does not like the adjusted environment. Luckily all of our other monoclonals do not have this requirement. They are not so finicky.

Thanks for that B.Bullock.

Thanks David.

When I worked with Alba's partial D kit we used saline cubes buffered with phosphate.

Has anyone noticed any differences using Quotient PEG or LISS compared to Immucor's PEG and Ortho's N-Hance?

We are considering purchasing the partial D and competency kits as well. Our local hospitals do not seem to like their ABO/Rh kits.

Reactions come off "sticky". Also, we are using buffered saline and their antisera requires unbuffered saline. How are you guys handling that, if you currently are using buffered saline cubes?

lacs -

You might want to check the package inserts. In the past, the only Quotient/ Alba product that requires unbuffered saline is their monoclonal Anti-M, which is very pH specific. The other antisera just requires saline (buffered or unbuffered), I doubt that requirements has chanced since I was "in the know". I know that confusion has caught more than one person.

Jeanne

we've switched to several of their Ag-typing sera and we've been quite pleased with them. their version of check cells, not so much. we had significant savings switching to their anti-sera.