Recently, several new cell separators have become available for high platelet low WBC contamination thrombocytapheresis. In their original configuration, these apparatuses can only collect plasma along with platelets, while no concurrent red cell collection can be carried out. In this study, we present the preliminary results of plasma and/or erythrothrombocytapheresis after the adaptation of the lines of two different cell separators, namely the Fresenius AS 204 and the Baxter Health Care Amicus. In addition, the preliminary results of multicomponent collection using the Dideco Excel will be presented; in the latter a system of plasma recirculation was introduced, to increase the purity and quality of the platelet product. The results of these studies show that erythrothrombocytapheresis can be carried out with all these apparatuses, but only with Dideco-Excel and the Fresenius AS 204 the procedure is totally automated. There are marginal differences in the quality of the RBC product in terms of percent hematocrit, from 65% with the Excel and AS 204 to ∼ 75% with the Amicus and in terms total content of hemoglobin which averages 58 g per RBC concentrate when RBC collection is carried out during the processing of ∼ 420 ml of whole blood. In terms of platelet collection, the differences are presently moderate, as the platelet yield and WBC contamination are not affected by the concurrent RBC collection. The average platelet yield was 3.98-4.1, and 4.01x1011 and the total WBC contamination was 1.2-2.9, and 1.9X105 rerspectively with the Amicus, the AS 204 and the Excel. These represent a new step in the direction of total apheresis for blood and blood component procurement.
Automation of blood component preparation from whole blood collections