Processing and Storage of Blood Components

The beginnings of blood component therapy date back to the 1950s. Although it was already possible to use component therapy in the 1950s and 1960s thanks to the closed plastic system, the use of whole blood was still predominant. However, throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the use of blood components for clinical purposes became more widespread and dominant in comparison to the use of whole blood. In the 1980s, component therapy almost completely replaced the use of whole blood, as the move towards 100% component therapy began at that time. Today in the world, the use of component therapy dominates, and in rare cases, whole blood is still used. In blood establishments, centrifugation, filtration, and freezing are common procedures used to prepare blood components, which include red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. Therapeutic products made from human plasma or blood are referred to as blood products. The processing and storage of blood components are extremely important processes in the long transfusion chain to ensure the highest quality of the obtained products. Over time, progress was consistently made. To ensure this, specialized equipment is required and must be constantly monitored. Each blood component is stored at its own specific temperature. To ensure the safety and quality of the entire process, new methods and procedures must always be developed, and the proper functioning of the equipment must be ensured.