Preparation of white cell‐depleted red cells for 42‐day storage using an integral in‐line filter

Abstract

A new blood pack system for the preparation of white cells was studied. The system is a modified additive-solution quadruple-unit blood pack that incorporates a cellulose-acetate fiber depth filter in-line between the AS-3 additive bag and the CP2D collection bag. Mean .+-. SD white cell removal from 156 units processed under standard production conditions was 97.7 .+-. 2.7 percent; residual white cells were 1.1 .+-. 1.0 .times. 108 per unit. Red cell loss was 10.0 .+-. 1.0 percent (n = 43). Mean platelet removal was 80.9 percent from units from which platelet concentrates were not prepared (n = 47). Microaggregates did not form during storage, and hemolysis of filtered red cells was lower than that of unfiltered controls. Filtered AS-3 red cells stored for 42 days had a 51Cr survival of 80.1 .+-. 5.7 percent (mean .+-. SD) as compared with 78.9 .+-. 6.2 percent for unfiltered controls (n = 17). This in-line filter system provides white cell-depleted, microaggregate-free red cells that can be stored for 42 days.