Automation of the glycerolization of red blood cells with the high-separation bowl in the Haemonetics ACP 215 instrument

Background: The FDA has approved a closed-system red blood cell (RBC) glycerolization procedure with the ACP 215 (Haemonetics), which requires a centrifuge to prepare RBCs before and after glycerolization. In the study reported here, the Haemonetics high-separation bowl was evaluated in an attempt to automate these two concentration steps. Study Design and Methods: Ten units of nonleukoreduced citrate phosphate dextrose (CPD)-anticoagulated whole blood were stored at 4 degrees C for 2 to 6 days before glycerolization and freezing as nonrejuvenated RBCs. Twenty-five units of nonleukoreduced CPD whole blood were stored at 4 degrees C for 2 to 8 days and then biochemically treated with a solution containing pyruvate, inosine, phosphate, and adenine (PIPA) before glycerolization and freezing as indated-rejuvenated RBC. Twenty units of leukoreduced CPD and AS-1 RBCs were stored at 4 degrees C for a mean of 48 days and treated with PIPA solution before glycerolization and freezing as outdated-rejuvenated RBCs. The glycerolized RBCs were frozen for at least 2 weeks at -80 degrees C, deglycerolized in the Haemonetics ACP 215 with the 325-mL bowl, and stored in AS-3 at 4 degrees C for 21 days. Results: It took approximately 50 minutes to glycerolize the nonrejuvenated and rejuvenated RBCs. After freezing, deglycerolization, and postwash storage at 4 degrees C in AS-3 for 2 weeks, the quality was similar to that of RBCs processed by the current FDA-approved method. Conclusion: Processing time and need for technical expertise were significantly reduced with the completely automated functionally closed glycerolization procedure with the high-separation bowl in the Haemonetics ACP 215 instrument.