Slide lamp for blood group determination

Technical file

Type of innovation: Device
Scope: Clinical Analysis
Innovation leader: Grifols i Lucas, Víctor; Grifols i Lucas, Josep Antoni
Year: 1950
Period: 1909-1971
Geographical scope: Spain
Economic impact: Medium
Level of innovation: Evolutionary
Patent: No
Interdisciplinary connections: -

There are different methods to determine blood groups and the Rh factor, and one of the most popular during the first half of the twentieth century was the slide method, still used today.

It's a straightforward technique. A sample of the red blood cells to be analyzed is mixed on a slide with the specific antisera of each group, to observe whether or not there is agglutination and, therefore, whether the blood belongs to one or another type.

The sample, however, had to be mixed well with the antisera and brought to a temperature of approximately 40 degrees centigrade, which was achieved using the heat provided by a lamp.

A lamp with added innovations

In 1950, Victor Grifols i Lucas developed a lamp specifically designed for the job. Its tilting curved design allowed for samples to be shaken and mixed more easily, making the device more convenient to use. Slides could be placed on top of the lamp, which heated them to the required temperature. In addition, the lamp's opal glass allowed for a better observation of the agglutination reactions.

Víctor Grifols developed different models of the device over several years, incorporating a thermostat to control the working temperature more accurately into a later design. Other versions had allowed the user to vary the intensity of light via a rheostat, which made it possible to adjust the temperature of the sample.