Our Products
ALBAcheck Control Reagents
Alba Bioscience recognises the ever increasing requirement for dependable quality control materials and have therefore created a wide group of products under the ALBAcheck®-BGS brand.
All immunohaematology laboratories must demonstrate the work they are carrying out is performed to a high standard and that results are accurate. There are many variables that can affect the outcome of blood group testing and consequently adequate control is a fundamental consideration. The Alba Bioscience control reagents have been developed for use as controls to confirm that that the technique used in-house for immunohaematology testing is consistent and reliable, therefore technicians are confident with the technique used.
Alba Bioscience control reagents enable users to validate and control testing on an individual or batch basis.
ALBAcheck®-BGS Control Reagents compromises:
• Simulated Whole blood controls
Mimic patient samples and could be used on automated platforms as well as for manual testing
• Sensitivity controls
Especially formulated weak controls designed to stress testing platforms
• Proficiency Test Kit
Set of 20 randomly selected serum samples for use as an internal self-assessment
• Other Reagents
High titre Control Kits for high titre A/B testing, AB serum, Enzyme control and Anti-D reagent control
What are the products used for?
Intended for use in the control of blood typing systems or as follows: (NOT SUITABLE FOR ROUTINE BLOOD TYPING)
Anti-D 0.3iu/mL (Z251) -To control the Indirect Antiglobulin Test (IAT), sometimes referred to as the Coombs Test. The reagent is a weak anti-D that will give around a grade 2 or 3 reaction when the test system is working properly (tube testing control only).
Anti-c (Z252), Anti-Fya (Z253), Anti-K (Z254), Anti-E (Z255) & Anti-S (Z258) - For use as sensitivity controls for control of the Indirect Antiglobulin Test when used for antibody screening, for column agglutination technology.
Diasure (Z250) - This weak antibody kit includes Anti-K, Anti-c and Anti-E and Anti-S. The inclusion of Anti-S allows this kit to be used for QC of instruments following cleaning procedures.
Enzyme Control (Z256) - To control the enzyme treatment of red cell solutions or to check that enzyme treated cells have been used in a test, i.e. cells would be tested with the reagent and those giving a positive reaction are enzyme treated.
High Titre Controls Kit (Z257) - To control the testing of donation plasmas for high titre anti-A/B. The kit provides a positive control that has anti-A and anti-B potency of over 1/128, and negative control that has anti-A and anti-B potency of less than 1/128. These controls should be tested as per donation test samples, which will involve the dilution of the plasmas in PBS to 1/128.
Anti-D Controls Kit (Z261), Anti-D 0.1iu/mL (Z262), Anti-D 0.05iu/mL (Z263), Anti-D 0.025iu/mL (Z264) & Anti-D 0.5iu/mL (Z265) - For use as sensitivity controls for control of the Indirect Antiglobulin Test when used for antibody screening. These are supplied in a range so the user can determine the detection level of their machine (guidelines state that levels of 0.5iu/mL must be detected in donations and 0.1iu/mL in patients).
Anti-D Reagent Control (Z271) - Used as a negative control when performing anti-D typing using reagents Z031, Z036, Z039 and Z041.
Proficiency Test Kit (Z275) - For self-assessment use for performing the IAT for antibody screening.
AB Serum - Human (Z281) - Used as a negative control when performing antibody-screening tests.
What does the product contain?
Dependant on which product. There are details on the brochure insert and instructions for use.
What is the shelf life of the product?
The product is stable until the expiry date indicated on the vials. Most products are given a two-year expiry from the date of manufacture, but exceptions to this are Anti-c (Z252), Anti-Fya (Z253), Anti-K (Z254), Anti-E (Z255) & Anti-S (Z258), High Titre Controls Kit (Z257), Proficiency Test Kit (Z275) which have one-year shelf life.
What is the storage temperature?
2-8 °C
What is the pack size?
This depends on the product and information can be found on the introduction page or on the brochure.
Is the product CE Marked?
All products in this range are CE Marked, except Proficiency Test kit (Z275).
Are the products available in the USA?
No, not FDA approved.
What do I do if I am unsure of my results?
Repeat the testing. As a control reagent, any abnormal or unwanted results must be investigated. Until the problem is determined the system cannot be used for the relevant test. If unwanted results are seen then please contact the Technical Service Manager at Alba Bioscience to discuss.
How do I order the product?
Please contact customer services at Alba Bioscience or contact one of our distributors (see distributors page for contact details).