Blood and Blood Components such as platelets, plasma, red blood cells and others are essential for carrying oxygen and nutrients throughout the body

 

Blood and blood components are a significant source of much-needed medical care for many patients throughout the world. Donating blood saves lives. With a donated blood sample, a doctor can diagnose and treat almost any acute medical conditions immediately, resulting in immediate care and improvements to a patient's health. In fact, it is estimated that every minute, an unknown blood sample is donated in the U.S. For instance, a cancer diagnosing company in the U.S., AnPac Bio-Medical Science, announced to develop multi-cancer detecting equipment on the basis of physical characteristics of blood components.

Human beings are capable of producing sufficient blood through specialized production systems. This blood can be stored in suspension or can be stored in a number of different ways depending on the circumstances. Prior to the invention of the modern blood transfusion system, human blood was collected and stored by many individuals throughout the course of the evening in small drawers that could be opened after hours to collect the needed blood.

Blood and blood components are conducted today through sophisticated blood collection and processing technologies that allow storage of these vital blood components without any risk of contamination. The blood components stored within the banking systems of the U.S. include all major types of human plasma, platelets, and red blood cells. Plasma and platelets are generally stored separately, although red blood cells may be combined with plasma or red blood cells in some storage systems to improve storage efficiency and increase storage life.

Blood and blood components are most commonly collected during routine donor assessments. These blood tests usually involve a collection of whole blood from an individual donor and evaluation of the various plasma and red cell components. Blood and blood components are also evaluated based on the information provided by the blood donors. Prior to donating blood, individuals often undergo a medical screening process. Screening processes include blood tests, urine tests, urinalysis and culture of the blood product.

The blood and blood components used to make a blood donation are called the 'blood platelet concentrate', and it is prepared from the dried platelets of the blood donors. This material is then purified and stored in standard blood collection tubes. A skilled technician using special equipment processes the platelets into a concentrate.