Plasma separator for encapsulating fluorescent probe in erythrocytes

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Hematology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Plasma protein removal from whole blood is crucial for various biomedical applications.
• Current methods for red blood cell modification can be time-consuming and complex.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and assess a novel, rapid technique for reversible red blood cell (RBC) modification.
• To evaluate the efficiency of encapsulating exogenous agents into RBCs using this method.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a plasma separator apparatus for large-volume blood processing.
• Employed hypotonic and hypertonic dialysates for reversible red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis and resealing.
• Assessed encapsulation efficiency using the fluorescent agent uranin (fluorescein sodium).

Main Results:

• The combined process of washing and encapsulation was completed in under 2 hours.
• Achieved an approximate 80% encapsulation efficiency for exogenous agents into red blood cells (RBCs).
• Reported a red blood cell (RBC) recovery rate of approximately 75% post-procedure.

Conclusions:

• The described method offers a rapid and efficient approach for plasma protein removal and red blood cell (RBC) encapsulation.
• This technique holds potential for applications in drug delivery and diagnostics requiring modified RBCs.