A colleague in Toronto, Canada reports that his lab just purchased an "infrared thermometer" which can measure the temperature of a blood product by simply aiming a laser guide at the blood product and pressing the trigger (Catalog, PDF Product Brochure). The temperature results reportedly immediately appear in °C or °F on a large backlit LCD. The Canadian colleague's transfusion service intends to use this device for measuring the temperature of the blood units that are returned unused to their lab prior to placing the returned products back into inventory. Units that are too warm would not be placed back into inventory, based on the "infrared thermometer" results. They would also measure the temperature of products received from their blood supplier using the "infrared thermometer". The Canadian asks if other institutions have had experience using this type of thermometer for measuring the temperature of blood products. He is specifically interested to learn how others address certain quality or safety issues, such as the safety of the personnel in the lab when the thermometer is used, or any effect that the laser beam might have on the blood products when their temperature is taken. For example, the instruction manual advises that extreme caution should be used when turning on the laser beam so as not to let the beam hit the eyes of any person. Precautions must also be taken to avoid allowing the laser beam to ricochet off a reflective surface (which might inadvertently result in the beam hitting an eye) and to avoid allowing the laser beam to impinge on any gas which can explode.

The following comments have been received.

ADDENDA Aug. 16, 2005

1. A colleague in the USA reports that her institution recently purchased an infrared thermometer (like the Canadian lab) for measuring temperatures of blood products, and that her lab is in the process of validating the device. She reports when comparing surface temperatures versus "internal" temperatures of refrigerated blood bags filled with 10% glycerin solution, that they find the surface temperatures to read up to 3C higher, and wonders if others have had similar observations. Her lab has also found that the area to be scanned for temperature should be wiped free of condensation, and should avoid being touched to eliminate transferring body heat to the surface being measured. It is also important to avoid scanning labels, in order to get a valid temperature readings. As for safety when using laser light, she agrees that one must avoid looking directly at the beam.

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Ira A. Shulman, MD
CBBS e-Network Forum Editor & Moderator