Administration of microaggregate filtered blood using a manual infusion pump

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Hematology
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Administration sets with in-line plastic blood pumps are standard for blood transfusions.
• Blood filters are used to remove microaggregates during transfusion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the flow rates of 20-micron microaggregate blood filters versus 260-micron filters during blood transfusion.
• To evaluate the efficacy of microaggregate filters in rapid blood transfusion.

Main Methods:

• Infusing whole blood and red blood cells through administration sets with 20-micron and 260-micron filters.
• Measuring flow rates using a manual infusion pump.
• Comparing flow rates across different filter types and units of blood.

Main Results:

• The 20-micron microaggregate filter demonstrated flow rates equal to or faster than the 260-micron filter, despite smaller pore size.
• Larger filtration surface area (140 cm2 vs. 30 cm2) of the 20-micron filter contributed to faster flow rates.
• All microaggregate filters processed three units of whole blood at rates exceeding 80 ml/minute without inducing hemolysis.

Conclusions:

• Manual infusion pumps can rapidly transfuse microaggregate filtered blood.
• Microaggregate filtered blood transfusion is suitable for routine clinical and intraoperative settings.
• 20-micron filters offer efficient blood filtration and transfusion rates.