The Risk Reactor Fluorescent Blood Donor Stain IF1P-C0 is a non-toxic, invisible blue tracer concentrate designed for use primarily by blood banks to mark donors in order to prevent too frequent donations. The fluorescent mark can be seen up to several weeks after applications, thus making it an effective means of long-term donor qualification.

Why Fluorescent Tracers?

The Risk Reactor Fluorescent Tracers serve the important functions of marking, identification, and tracer-detection in a wide range of industrial and commercial applications. Fluorescent marking materials (inks, dyes, and stains) exhibit the property of high visual contrast under black light, while at the same time it is possible to make the fluorescent mark colorless and invisible in ordinary white light. Thus, ‘invisible’ marks may be applied for later detection and identification under black light inspection, and messy black or colored ink stains are avoided.

Blood Donor Identification

The IF1P-C0 Blood Donor Stain was developed responsive to a need for identification of donors to prevent too frequent of blood donations. The marking material has been thoroughly tested in service, and proven reliable over a period of more than twenty years. It has been accepted and approved by many blood banks and medical laboratories. Human blood procurement centers are frequently confronted with the problem of donors who wish to give blood at intervals too frequent for their own physical well being. Persons of this type are found in every group of donors irrespective of the motives, which prompt them to come for a blood donation. Experience in all centers where close checks are made has demonstrated that such persons will, in donations, give fictitious names, or exchange social security cards and other identifying papers. This nullifies the usual recording system. Physical examinations, hemoglobin determinations, and search for needle marks are also often inadequate for determining whether or not these donors have been bled recently.

Marking Technique

The technique of marking blood donors involves swabbing the dye on a selected finger at the junction of the nail with the cuticle. Capillary attraction causes the dye to penetrate crevices in and under the cuticle where it tends to remain despite repeated washing. Marks can be readily seen, under a suitable lamp, for periods of from two to three weeks and sometimes even longer. The stain can also be placed in the outer portion of the external ear canal where it remains on the skin or hairs for a considerable time. The dye has been found to be no more irritating to tissues than isopropyl alcohol diluted with water. In use, it is recommended that the IF1P-C0 tracer liquid be transferred into a small, squat bottle to provide easier handling and to minimize possibility of spillage.

Disqualification of Donors.

Cooperating laboratories may find it advantageous to dye the ear or the nail base of an assigned finger at time of drawing blood. Every prospective donor must be inspected under black light, in addition to the conventional requirements, before being accepted for bleeding. An observed nail glow or fluorescence in the ear disqualifies the donor. Nail base marking appears to be the most practical, since the donor’s hand may be conveniently examined by use of a small desk-type black light lamp. In cases where it is suspected that attempts are being made to defeat the marking system, ear marking will be found advantageous, since such marks are more difficult to remove.

Black Light Lamps.