Lab Coats – Whiter than white

I am always impressed when I pop down to the lab at Lorne. Apart from the fact that there is some genuine and impressive science-type activity going on (compared to what I do day to day), I have always marvelled at just how white everyone’s lab coats are. Perhaps it is the domestic side of me that kicks in (what washing powder are they using?), because I can never manage the same with my own shirts or socks.

So, I was somewhat surprised to find out this week that lab coats were not originally white. As it turns out, the interesting laboratory-based fact that has been doing the rounds on the internet recently is that lab coats were originally black in color. It seems that this was out of respect for the cadavers that were used in medical research when such activities were still in their infancy. It might also have been a domestic matter too – how did they get those stains out in the nineteenth century?

But at least the modern trend sits comfortably with the rest of the laboratory experience. There is something of a white theme going on – laboratory fridges, laboratory freezers, storage cabinets, laminar flow cabinets – you name it – they all seem to look the part with their clean white exteriors. The other surface that dominates in the Lorne lab is glass. Even some of the walls are made of glass. And, of course, some of the marvellous new laboratory fridges and freezers have glass doors.

Even if you did not manage to see one of new range of Lorne laboratory and blood bank fridges and freezers at BBTS, you can always drop us an email and we can share some information with you (info@lornelabs.com). And if you do happen to see me at next year’s BBTS, I can let you know just what detergent we use to achieve that wonderful clean look.
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What should Lorne fridges contain for their next exhibition?

As suppliers of blood bank fridges we pride ourselves on the quality of our product.With every exhibition Lorne attends,we attempt to fill our high quality blood bank fridges with something interesting.At last year’s Medica exhibition in BBTS, Glasgow, our blood bank fridges contained teddy bears for sale with the proceeds going to Children with Leukaemia, now called Children with Cancer. We will again be bringing some new teddies, with the proceeds again going to Children with Cancer, this year but we would also like to offer locally sourced, cold beverages to any visitors that would like to visit the Lorne stand at the next exhibition.

The image to the left is the poll in question. We welcome responses on any of our social networks. Lorne’s Facebook and Twitter links are below but please feel free to leave a comment below this blog. We would very much appreciate your interaction and if you are attending this year’s exhibitions alongside Lorne, then please drop by our stand and take a drink. We know that these exhibitions can be quite fatiguing and a healthy boost of vitamins will help keep you on your toes. The next major exhibition for Lorne will be the BBTS exhibition, British Blood Transfusion Society, which will take place in Harrogate on the 26th-28th of September.  If you like to make an appointment to meet then please email : marketing@lornelabs.com.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lornelabs

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/lornelabs

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top
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Scotblood 2012

The exhibition season is now upon us. Over the next few months, Lorne will be attending Scotblood (Stirling – 7th & 8th June), WASPS (Llantrisant – 21st June), BBTS (Harrogate – 26th to 28th September) and Medica (Dusseldorf – 14th to 17th November).

Scotblood is the annual conference of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and it attracts delegates and international speakers to discuss all things transfusion-related. It also plays host to a number of commercial exhibitors and that is where Lorne comes in. As a manufacturer of blood grouping reagents and a supplier of blood bank refrigerators, Lorne exhibits at Scotblood so that it can communicate directly with its customers, especially those based in Scotland.

Lorne reagents enjoy an enviable reputation for quality and stability and we have many customers in Scotland. Our blood bank refrigerators can be found in hospitals in the region. It is always great to see familiar faces at such exhibitions and should you wish to pop along and have a chat, you will find Lorne at Stand 17 in the exhibition area.

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The Journey of a Unit of Blood

Staying with the theme of the BBC, they recently made a short film showing what happens to a unit of blood after it has been taken from a donor. The film features NBS Filton near Bristol, which is Europe’s largest blood manufacturing and processing unit.

The piece begins with the donors – something I am hoping to become in the coming weeks. There are two million donations made every year in the UK. The donated blood is refrigerated in a blood bank fridge before being sent on to regional processing centres, such as NBS Filton. The white blood cells are discarded and the rest is separated into red cells, platelets and plasma.

In the last year, the NBS sent out a quarter of a million units of platelets, over a third of a million units of frozen plasma and a little short of two million units of red cells to just England & Wales. I have been lucky enough to visit the blood banks of some of the finest hospitals in the Thames Valley this year. It is quite heart-warming to see how the generous donations of ordinary people are cared for and processed into life-saving packages. The blood bank fridges hold their precious contents until they are needed. The fact remains that none of us know when we might need such a wonderful gift.

The video can be viewed on the BBC website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17830532

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Cold Chain Mission

BBC2 showed the first of two one-hour programmes on Sunday evening, charting the challenges faced by Unicef as it seeks to immunise children in some of the most remote and difficult environments on Earth. In Sunday’s programme, Unicef ambassador Ewan McGregor was on a mission to follow the cold chains necessary to keep polio and measles vaccines in the right conditions before they were administered to children in India and Nepal.

It is not unusual for medical supplies to require a cold chain. At Lorne, we know that Lorne blood grouping reagents and kits require a cold chain in order for them to maintain their stability and remain effective diagnostic tools for the medical profession. They are stored here in a giant refrigerator and upon shipping they require refrigeration en route and at their destination. I have been into UK hospitals and witnessed the cold chain used for blood and blood products. Here in the UK, our hospitals have reliable blood bank fridges (especially those with Lorne fridges). The remote corners of the world that Ewan and the Unicef team were visiting utilised a far less reliable infrastructure.

The vaccines he was transporting hopped from freezer to freezer, often being stored in hotel kitchens, before being moved in cool boxes in the blazing tropical heat. Boats, planes, motorbikes and treks across mountains were required to reach these remote villages, with the integrity of the cold chain being tested along the way. It was a fascinating glimpse into the logistics of cold chain medicine transportation and delivery.

In next Sunday’s episode, Ewan and his team travel up the Congo River following a vaccine cold chain trail. It can be watched on BBC2 at 9pm and is available on BBC iPlayer.
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Blood Donation – Signed up!

Well, I have completed the first stage of the process. I have been on the ‘Give Blood’ website and registered. I have also selected my first donation session. The whole thing took just minutes to do and now there is nothing to stop me. I will be assigned an appointment time in the coming days for a session at the local community centre. Dead easy!

I must confess that I am now looking at Lorne products in a different way. This time, it’s personal. I can hardly pass by Lorne blood grouping reagents or the blood bank fridge without thinking about my own donation and the part that these products will play in the process. My blood will be screened and grouped (I am going to have to ask for as much detail as possible about my blood group profile) and then it will be stored in a blood bank fridge until it is ready for use.

The website (www.blood.co.uk) has some very interesting information, including the basics of blood groups and the history of blood transfusion. I was impressed by the graphical information about the very latest blood stocks being held by the NHS Blood & Transplant. The most interesting feature is a video showing the journey of blood from donation to transfusion. I thoroughly recommend it!
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Donating Blood for the first time

I have never donated blood before. Since joining Lorne, the urge to do so has become more pressing. As a member of the Lorne team, I have visited local hospitals and seen the great work going on in the blood banks. I am aware of the importance of giving blood and I am surrounded on a daily basis with the tools of the trade – blood grouping reagents and blood bank fridges.

So, it is my intention to sign up and do my bit for the community in which I live. Who knows? One day, it might be a friend or a loved one who is in dire need of a transfusion. It could even be me. I am finding it harder and harder every day to put it off.

As someone who works with blood grouping reagents, it may seem rather surprising that I do not even know what blood groups I belong to. I suppose that will change when I sign up and offer my first donation. I will also know something of the process that follows – the use of blood grouping reagents to determine my profile, my blood being stored in a blood bank fridge and the eventual transfusion into someone who needs it.

I will post what happens over the next few weeks. Who knows? Perhaps you might be inspired to do the same.

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Langanbach – a valued partner in Ireland

One of our longest associations has been with our Irish distributor, Langanbach Services. I had the pleasure of visiting them in the beautiful seaside town of Bray in County Wicklow. The last time I had been in Bray was when I was a child and on that occasion I managed to get sunburnt. I didn’t believe that visiting the town in March could possibly top up my tan, but the unusually hot spring weather threatened a repeat of the sunburn.

Langanbach market our range of reagents, kits, blood bank fridges and other blood transfusion equipment throughout the island of Ireland, both north & south of the border. They have been a valued partner for many years and it was a pleasure to visit their premises and meet the team. Langanbach has an excellent modern facility and a dedicated team allowing them to provide a first rate service despite the economic difficulties that exist across the island.

In many ways, the similarities with Lorne were striking. We share many of the same issues, offer many of the same advantages over our competition and even share the same sorts of problems in this age of economic uncertainty. I also know that I am very much looking forward to my next visit and I extend my thanks to Frank, Jim, Liz, Marion, Catherine and Gerry (pictured from left to right).
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Medica – again!

They say that marketing is taking over the world. Not from where we are sitting. There are six of the Lorne team going to Medica this year. Four are flying – in comfort – whilst the remaining two are driving all the way with a car stuffed to the gills. Guess which department is having to drive?

Fortunately, we are not having to take one of our blood bank refrigerators in the back. It would never fit anyway – not once we have got all our own luggage in. We do have room for the usual exhibition stuff – screens, choccy biscuits, pens, diaries – we are even taking a few samples of our blood screening products with us just to show potential customers. But no fridge – there’s just no room. We hope that, by now, most people in the business will know that we are laboratory equipment suppliers. If they don’t then maybe we deserve to be the ones going by car.

Anyway, if we do manage to sell a few of our excellent blood bank fridges on the back of this exhibition, we are hoping that it will be us flying next year. Perhaps, first class. With a limo to meet us at the airport. Well, one can dream.

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