BD Announces Launch of Unique System for Safe Transportation of Blood Culture Vials

BD, a leading global medical technology company, announced today the launch of the BD BACTEC™ SafePod, designed for the safe transportation of blood culture vials in pneumatic tube systems, and for safe transportation of positive blood cultures from satellite sites to a central laboratory.

The BD BACTEC™ SafePod is an enclosed system that is designed to accommodate up to two BD BACTEC™ bottles, and which will fit all pneumatic tube transport systems, to safely convey blood culture vials from point of collection to point of analysis. The BD SafePod contains an absorbent insert which 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. SafePod is manufactured from clear plastic for easy inspection prior to opening, and is sterilisable for re-use.

Chris Head-Jenner, Marketing Manager, UK and Ireland, BD, who led the product design, says: “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, meets HPA requirements, whilst also saving space and time.”

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. Feedback from staff suggests that the new system is easy to load to use, and there have been no reports of breakage.

The BD BACTEC™ SafePod 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 BD BACTEC ™ SafePod is fully compliant as the secondary receptacles. The BD BACTEC™ bottles and the BD 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.