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Hexatec software is used in a wide variety of applications including product storage and environmental monitoring. The following Case Study is an example of how Hexatec software can be used in this environment.
Case Study National Blood Service - Blood Storage Monitoring |
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Although an integral part of the NHS, The National Blood Service (NBS) is, in fact, a separate entity. From its 15 centres across England and North Wales it is responsible for the collection, testing, processing, storage and issuing of over 2.5 million blood donations per annum. As well as blood, the NBS carries out similar services in relation to blood components, blood products and body tissues. From their Newcastle base, the NBS supply hospitals throughout the north of the country from south of the Scottish Border down to as far south as Northallerton and as far west as Whitehaven. Scotland operates a separate service although products are transferred in case of severe shortages.
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For a service like the NBS, the monitoring
of storage conditions is of the utmost importance. In the North
East the Newcastle upon Tyne Centre uses a data acquisition and control
software system developed by a company located close by in Hexham. The
software being employed is Hexatec SCAN
1000. Although the Newcastle NBS centre operates on different software from its sister units, it must still be compatible with the rest of the NBS nationwide and the Hexatec Saturn software allows for this. Compatible with Windows, the Hexatec software can be operated on a PC through integration with MS Back Office, making it a cost effective and more flexible option than some of the more complex systems traditionally used in process control. “We like the software because the display properties are well defined,” explains Sandra Aynsley. “Hexatec temperature probes from each unit record not only data used in comparison and analysis, but are also connected to an alarm system.” Alarms are an important part of the monitoring process at the NBS and are required in several different applications including platelet motion and liquid nitrogen level monitoring. Platelets have a five-day expiry limit, and during that time must be kept at a temperature of between 20 to 24 centigrade, and under constant motion. The agitators used are under constant monitoring and linked to an alarm system activated should motion cease for longer than a 30-minute interval. The storage of frozen samples in liquid nitrogen relies on the close monitoring of nitrogen levels with alarms activated should the nitrogen levels drop and the tanks become too dry. |
