I found one post from 5 years ago with a method for validating HemoTemp II stickers. It involved obtaining an expired unit of blood, applying a temperature sticker to the unit, and laying the unit in a 1C degree pan of water, a 5C pan of water, etc. (Keeping the sticker dry)

Does anybody have another method for validating these stickers?

Thank you

Catherine

It's not high tech, but I made 2 mock units by putting 280 ml of 10% glycerol in empty donor bags and sticking a short 1-15oC thermometer in an outlet port on each one. I QC my coolers with them, and if you attach temperature indicators, you can QC them too as the temp slowly rises to the change point. AABB and CAP have never had an issue with them. I have an IR thermometer but have never been able to get consistant readings with it.

Thank you! That will work. I think also it would be good to demonstrate that once the unit is >10C, the temp indicators don't change when the unit is returned to the BB refrigerator. I am thinking of units in the ER or OR that might be removed and then returned to an ER/OR refrigerator or storage container. I am thinking of leaving a glycerol unit out until the sticker indicates it's >10C, then putting it back in the refrigerator and documenting that the indicator didn't revert back to an "OK to Issue" status.