Improvement of Blood Processing and Safety by Automation and Pathogen Reduction Technology

Introduction: The objective of the present study was to describe the experience of the Blood and Tissues Bank of Aragon with the Reveos® Automated Blood Processing System and Mirasol® Pathogen Reduction Technology (PRT) System, comparing retrospectively routine quality data obtained in two different observation periods. Methods: Comparing quality data encompassing 6,525 blood components from the period 2007–2012, when the semi-automated buffy coat method was used in routine, with 6,553 quality data from the period 2014–2019, when the Reveos system and subsequently the Mirasol system were implemented in routine. Results: Moving from buffy coat to Reveos led to decreased discard rates of whole blood units (1.2 to 0.1%), increased hemoglobin content (48.1 ± 7.6 to 55.4 ± 6.6 g/unit), and hematocrit (58.9 ± 6.5% to 60.0 ± 4.9%) in red blood cell concentrates. Platelet concentrates (PCs) in both periods had similar yields (3.5 ×1011). Whereas in the earlier period, PCs resulted from pooling 5 buffy coats, in the second period 25% of PCs were prepared from 4 interim platelet units. The mean level of factor VIII in plasma was significantly higher with Reveos (92.8 vs. 97.3 IU). Mirasol PRT treatment of PCs reduced expiry rates to 1.2% in 2019. One septic transmission was reported with a non-PRT treated PCs, but none with PRT-treated PCs. Conclusion: Automation contributed to standardization, efficiency, and improvement of blood processing. Released resources enabled the effortless implementation of PRT. The combination of both technologies guaranteed the self-sufficiency and improvement of blood safety.