BD has launched the Bactec Safepod, an enclosed system that is designed to ensure the safe transportation of blood culture vials in pneumatic tube systems.
It also ensures the safe transportation of positive blood cultures from satellite sites to a central laboratory.
The BD Bactec Safepod accommodates up to two Bactec bottles, which will fit all pneumatic tube transport systems, to safely convey blood culture vials from the point of collection to the point of analysis.
The system contains an absorbent insert that separates the BD Bactec blood culture vials to cushion them during high-speed transportation and is capable of absorbing 100ml of liquid - more than sufficient for the contents of two bottles.
The Safepod is manufactured from clear plastic to aid inspection prior to opening and can be sterilised for reuse.
Chris Head-Jenner, the company's marketing manager for the UK and Ireland, said: 'Historically, there has been a reluctance to transport biological compounds in glass bottles through hospital pneumatic tube systems for fear of breakage.
'The BD Bactec Safepod addresses these customer concerns by providing a system that safely transports biological compounds and meets HPA requirements, while also saving space and time,' added Head-Jenner.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is now using the BD Bactec Safepod system at St Mary's, Chelsea and Westminster, Hammersmith and Charing Cross hospitals.
The system is fully compliant with all UN 3373 transportation requirements for diagnostic blood specimens - both inside and outside the hospital.
BD Bactec blood culture bottles are fully compliant as the primary receptables and the Bactec Safepod is fully compliant as the secondary receptacle.
The Bactec bottles and the Bactec Safepod count as the first two layers, enabling further packaging into either a pneumatic tube for transportation within the hospital or a rigid box for transportation within sites.
