LEUKOCYTE REMOVAL METHOD AND LEUKOCYTE REMOVAL FILTER SYSTEM.

摘要

A method of removing leukocytes from a leukocyte-containing blood preparation which comprises preparing a leukocyte-poor blood preparation by subjecting the leukocyte-containing blood preparation to the first-stage leukocyte removal treatment to remove at least 60 % of the leukocytes contained in said preparation and subjecting the leukocyte-poor blood preparation to the second-stage leukocyte removal treatment by the use of a microfilter element made from nonwoven or woven fabric having a mean fiber diameter of 0.3 to 1.6 mu m. A leukocyte removal filter system wherein the first-stage filter element communicates with the second-stage filter element and is located on the upstream side of the second-stage element in the direction of flow of the leukocyte-containing blood preparation being treated. The above method and system can reduce the content of the leukocytes remaining in the blood preparation to 10<-><4> or below and also the size of the filter.