METHODS FOR PROCESSING RED BLOOD CELL PRODUCTS FOR LONG TERM STORAGE FREE OF MICROORGANISMS

摘要

2086516 9219355 PCTABS00017 A blood processing method provides a red blood cell product that is free of microorganisms like Yersinia enterocolitica during storage periods over 24 hours. The red blood cell product is collected in a first container (16), where it is refrigerating to cool the blood product to a temperature of about 3 to 5 degrees C. The refrigerated product is transferred from the first container (16) into a storage container (34) through a prescribed filter medium (44) that comprises a mass of synthetic fibers having an average fiber diameter of about 10 microns or less and a bulk density of about 0.7 gram per cubic centimeter or less. The filtered product is retained in the storage container (34) at a temperature of about 3 to 5 degrees C for a storage period over 24 hours after filtration. Using the filter medium (44), microorganisms like Yersinia enterocolitica present in the red blood cell product at the time of collection are depleted. The filtered blood product remains free of clinically significant numbers of microorganisms throughout refrigerated storage up to time of transfusion.