GB881746A - Improvements in or relating to method and apparatus for obtaining and storing blood - Google Patents

Abstract

881,746. Storing blood. FENWAL LABORATORIES Inc. Aug. 19, 1959 [May 6, 1959], No. 28369/59. Class 81 (2). Blood obtained through a blood donor tube 11 is admitted to a first flexible collapsible storage chamber 10 providing an environment for preserving it for a short-term period, the first chamber being connected by a tube 21 to a second flexible collapsible chamber 20 containing a long-term preservative, the blood, within the short-term period, either being withdrawn from the first chamber for use or admitted to the second chamber and admixed with the longterm preservative. Two flexible collapsible bags 10, 20 are interconnected by an integral tube 21 which may be closed by a metal clip 23. The first bag 10 may be filled with blood from a donor through a needle 12 and a tube 11 which is also integral the bag 10. Balls 15, 22 frictionally held in the tubes 11, 21 may be manually manipulated through the tubes to permit the passage of blood into or out of the bag. Each bag has outlet tubes 17, 26, 30 each of which is closed by a puncturable diaphragm 18, 27 or 31 and is enclosed in removable sealed strips 19, 28 or 32. The tubes, bags, balls and the needle have hemo-repellent blood-contacting surfaces. In use, blood collected in the first bag 10 is stored in that bag, which may contain a short-term preservative e.g. heparin, and may be transferred to the second bag 20 which contains a long-term preservative e.g. acidcitrate-dextrose. Blood in the first bag may be centrifuged to separate its various components and one or more components may be transferred to the second bag. If the plasma of the centrifuged blood is transferred first to the second bag containing a preservative, it acts as a buffer for deleterious action of the preservative on other components of the blood e.g. red corpuscles which subsequently may be transferred to the second bag or to which the plasma and preservative together may be returned in the first bag. Specifications 773,342, 803,515 and 803,516 are referred to.