Centrifuges are commonly used equipment in blood banks for blood testing.

Release time:

2018-11-14

Overview:

The centrifuge holds a very high position in blood testing.

　　 Centrifuge Its status in blood testing is quite high. Don't be fooled by the fact that a single blood bag costs only a few dozen yuan. After blood is collected and stored, it undergoes screening for seven different items, including hepatitis B and syphilis. To ensure blood safety, each blood bag is screened twice—once using domestically produced reagents and again using imported reagents. The average cost of reagents alone amounts to nearly 100 yuan, and the equipment used for these tests is simply a centrifuge!

　　Centrifugal separation is a new technique developed based on the behavior of particles under practical centrifugal conditions. Particles of different densities, sizes, or shapes settle at varying rates in different centrifugal environments. Thus, a generally spherical, heterogeneous mixture can be separated by centrifugation. Centrifuges are used for further biochemical research and for the large-scale separation of various substances—for example, to collect cells, isolate plasma, separate DNA and protein molecules from these pre-purified preparations, and also to isolate viruses as well as large quantities of Escherichia coli, cellular components, and nucleoprotein particles.

　　The blood samples sent from the pending-testing warehouse are placed into individual purple centrifuge tubes. After being weighed, the tubes are loaded into a centrifuge that looks remarkably like a large pot, where the centrifugation process begins. The separated plasma is then transferred into another bag and must be frozen for storage, ready to be used in the treatment of special patients.

　　Steps for centrifuging blood:

　　First, after connecting to the power source, there’s a power switch on the back of the machine. Turn on the switch, but don’t start the machine until you’ve opened the cover.

　　Second, open the lid, take out the protective cotton inside, close the lid again, and then start the machine—that’s it!

　　Third, when separating the tubes in the test tube holder, you must place the two tubes facing each other to maintain balance. After separating for 15 to 20 minutes, the machine must come to a complete stop before you open the lid and remove the tubes.

　　Two displays: one showing the rotational speed and the other showing the time.

　　As each bag of whole blood is “duplicated,” the corresponding blood sample—derived from the same donor—is undergoing a rigorous “examination” in the laboratory. Here, the blood samples are tested for seven different markers, including hepatitis B surface antigen. Staff members explain that even though state-of-the-art, fully automated instruments are used for the initial testing, the final step still requires every laboratory technician to visually compare the results and identify any questionable samples. Any results that appear ambiguous will be retested from scratch. Behind every single bag of blood lies not only the generosity of the donor but also the dedicated efforts of countless staff members. It’s truly remarkable to realize that each and every bag of blood carries such profound significance.

　　“In the centrifuge market—whether in the past, present, or future—if anyone wants to gain an edge in the competition and stay ahead, it still comes down to solid, reliable technology.” When it comes to securing a foothold in the market, technology is the only real asset.

Let’s discuss the differences between high-speed and low-speed refrigerated centrifuges from the perspectives of maintenance and features.

Where is the “big data and cloud information” of the centrifuge reflected?