Blood service sues over testing device

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) is suing for €1.4m over an alleged defective testing device which, it is claimed, failed to pick up pre-existing anaemia in prospective blood donors.

The German manufacturer of the Haemospect device disputes any defects and claims any inaccurate readings are a result of misuse of it, its counsel told the Commercial Court.

The IBTS case is against MBR Optical Systems GMBH & Co KG, (MBR), Wuppertal, Germany, as manufacturer of the device, and Linc Medical Systems, Leicester, UK, as supplier of a number of the devices to the IBTS.