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A portable system for processing donated whole blood into high quality components without centrifugation
Sean C Gifford1, Briony C Strachan2, Hui Xia2
1Halcyon Biomedical Incorporated, Friendswood, Texas, United States of America.
Plos One
|January 19, 2018
Summary
A new passive blood separation system offers a viable alternative to centrifugation for processing donated blood. This system generates high-quality red blood cells and less damaged platelets, ideal for remote settings.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Blood Component Separation
- Transfusion Medicine
Background:
- Conventional centrifugation for blood component separation is standard but has logistical challenges and can cause cellular damage.
- Existing methods require specialized equipment and are not easily deployable in resource-limited environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a novel, portable, passive system for whole blood processing.
- To compare the quality of blood components produced by the new system versus traditional centrifugation.
Main Methods:
- A split-unit study compared a new passive blood separation system with conventional centrifugation using donated whole blood.
- Blood products were analyzed for various red blood cell and platelet quality metrics.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in most red blood cell parameters between the two methods.
- The passive system yielded red blood cells with improved 2,3-diphosphoglyceric acid concentration.
- Conventional centrifugation resulted in significantly higher platelet activation and release of inflammatory mediators.
Conclusions:
- A simple, passive blood separation system is a potential alternative to centrifugation.
- This system is particularly suitable for remote or resource-limited settings.
- It offers a superior platelet product with reduced damage for clinical applications.
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