Reducing Cell-Free Hemoglobin Levels in Freeze-dried Red Blood Cells for Transfusions in Austere Environments

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Hematology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Current red blood cell (RBC) storage requires refrigeration, limiting use in resource-limited settings.
• Developing ambient-temperature stable RBC products is crucial for emergencies and remote areas.
• Freeze-dried RBCs offer long-term storage but risk hemolysis-induced toxicity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate in-line post-processing methods for removing cell-free hemoglobin from freeze-dried RBCs.
• To mitigate transfusion risks associated with hemolysis in stored blood products.
• To develop a feasible method for purifying freeze-dried RBCs in austere environments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized chelating resin beads for in-line adsorption of cell-free hemoglobin.
• Compared filtration methods (non-fluidic and fluidic) in hemoglobin solutions.
• Assessed the reduction of free hemoglobin in freeze-dried and rehydrated RBCs post-filtration.

Main Results:

• Filtration reduced cell-free hemoglobin by 80%-90% in RBC suspensions without affecting RBC counts.
• Chelating resin bead filtration decreased free hemoglobin by over 60% in freeze-dried and rehydrated RBCs.
• Demonstrated the efficacy of resin beads in adsorbing hemoglobin compared to unfiltered solutions.

Conclusions:

• Chelating resin beads are effective for reducing cell-free hemoglobin in freeze-dried RBC products.
• This post-processing technique minimizes hemolysis-mediated injury risk.
• Findings support the development of safe, transfusable freeze-dried RBCs for austere environments.