Plateletpheresis Experience with the Haemonetics Blood Processor 30, the IBM Blood Processor 2997, and the Fenwal CS‐3000 Blood Processor1,2

Comparisons were made of the apheresis instruments Haemonetics Blood Processor 30, IBM Blood Processor 2997 and Fenwal CS-3000, for collection of platelets from normal donors. With each instrument the mean recovery was at least 4 x 10(11) platelets per procedure, and each instrument afforded a safe and reliable collection. The Haemonetics Blood Processor gave the lowest recovery of platelets per minute per procedure. The IBM Blood Processor 2997 required the longest time for set-up and priming and processed 1.5 liters more donor blood per collection than the other instruments. The Fenwal CS-3000, which is a computer-controlled instrument, was the least time consuming. The donor suffered a significantly greater drop in platelet count after collection with the IBM Blood Processor 2997 (31%) than after collection with the other instruments (19%), and we were unable to account for this observation.