Clinical Use of Blood Transfusion Devices

THE QUALITY and variety of medical instruments has grown dramatically in the past 30 years. This growth has been proportional to the clinical usefulness of these instruments and our reliance upon them. Transfusion devices have generally kept pace with the rest of medicine in this regard; for the first half of this century, transfusionists were primarily concerned with the overwhelming problems of collection, storage and compatibility. Many of the recent advances in transfusion medicine have resulted from improvements in our technology as well as our increased understanding of the underlying biology. The history of the field, both recent and past, has been well reviewed. 1-3 Many devices are now established in clinical transfusion medicine; new ones appear ready to make the transition from the laboratory bench to the bedside. These devices include: blood filters, warmers, pumps, automated cell processors, blood irradiation units, and sterile connecting devices. Some established technology, such as plastic bags and rotators for platelet storage, will not be discussed; neither will apheresis technology.