Red blood cell detection

1. A method of detecting red blood cells in a sample, said method comprising contacting the sample with binding agents capable of binding the red blood cell antigens control method for an assay, which assay requires the addition of red blood cells, said control method comprising:

detecting red blood cells with binding agents capable of binding red blood cells antigens listed as (i)-(iv) and that have a frequency of at least 99% in all red blood cell types:

(i) GPA;

(ii) GPB;

(iii) H; and

(iv) Rh29; and

confirming the presence of the red blood Cells in the assay and continuing the assay or confirming the absence of the red blood cells in the assay and discarding the assay or repeating the assay,

wherein detection of red blood cells bound to the binding agents confirms the presence of red blood cells in the sample.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is a control test to confirm the presence of red blood cells in a sample or process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is a sample of whole blood or a sample of adult, foetal, neonatal and/or antenatal plasma, serum or red blood cells prepared therefrom.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is any volume or amount of a fluid or substance which comprises, potentially comprises or is suspected of comprising, red blood cells.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is a control test for an assay.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binding agents are selected from the group consisting of:

(i) antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof,

(ii) aptamers,

(iii) small molecule antibody mimetics,

(iv) nucleic acid ligands, and

(v) receptors from cells capable of binding the red blood cell antigens.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binding agents are an antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binding agents are an antibody, optionally a polyclonal or monoclonal antibody or antigen binding fragment of either.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binding agents are immobilised, bound or adsorbed on to any suitable substrate.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binding agents are immobilised, bound or adsorbed to all or part of a substrate.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binding agents are immobilised, bound or adsorbed to one or more discrete, predetermined locations on a substrate.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the binding agents are immobilised as a plurality/series of distinct and/or discrete spots.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein each discrete or predetermined location or spot on a substrate independently comprises the immobilised binding agents.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the binding agents are is immobilised, bound, and/or adsorbed to a substrate as an array or microarray.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the binding agents are immobilised to the substrate of an existing assay system.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein, the existing assay system is a crossmatching or blood typing assay system.

17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the substrate is functionalised with one or more functional polymers selected from the group consisting of:

(i) glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane;

(ii) poly-1-lysine;

(iii) aminopropylsilane;

(iv) carboyxsilane;

(v) hydrogels and polymer-brushes;

(vi) self-assembled monolayers; and

(vii) a silane based coating.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the red blood cells are detected by means of autofluorescence.

19. A method, of confirming the presence of red blood cells in a sample used in an assay, said method comprising contacting the sample with one or more binding agents capable of binding red blood cells antigens (i)-(iv) that have a frequency of at least 99% in all red blood cell types selected from the group consisting of:

(i) GPA;

(ii) GPB;

(iii) H; and

(iv) Rh29;

wherein the detection of red blood cells bound to the binding agents confirms the presence of red blood cells in the sample and further wherein the assay is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) an immunological assay;

(ii) a crossmatching assay; and

(iii) a blood typing assay.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises contacting the sample with binding agents capable of binding one or more red blood cell antigens selected from the group consisting of:

(i) En a ;

(ii) Ge:2;

(iii) Ge:3; and

(iv) Wr b .

21. A control test for an assay, said test comprising monoclonal antibodies capable of binding the red blood, cell antigens (i)-(iv) that have a frequency of at least 99% in all red blood cell types:

(i) GPA;

(ii) GPB;

(iii) H; and

(iv) Rh29.

22. The control test of claim 21 , wherein the test further comprises one or more binding agents capable of binding one or more of the red blood cell antigens selected from the group consisting of:

(I) En a ;

(ii) Ge:2;

(iii) Ge:3; and

(iv) Wr b .

23. The control test of claim 21 , wherein the control test is used as a positive control test to confirm the addition of red blood cells to a process, device, apparatus, assay and/or assay system.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises contacting the sample with binding agents capable of binding one or more red blood cell antigens selected from the group consisting of:

(i) En a ;

(ii) Ge:2;

(iii) Ge:3; and

(iv) Wr b .