title: New approach to 'top-and-bottom' whole blood separation using the multiunit TACSI WB system: quality of blood components.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  TACSI whole blood system is designed to combine primary and secondary processing of six whole blood bags into plasma units, buffy coat and red blood cell concentrates. The aim of this study was to investigate the specifications and in vitro storage parameters of blood components compared with standard centrifugation and separation processing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Whole blood bags, collected in CRC kits, were treated on a TACSI whole blood system. They were compared with whole blood bags collected in Composelect kits. In addition to routine quality control analyses, conservation studies were performed on red blood cell concentrates for 42 days and on plasma for 6 months. Platelets pools with five buffy coats were also created, and cellular contamination was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Red blood cell concentrates produced from TACSI whole blood met European quality requirements. For white blood cell count, one individual result exceeded 1 × 10(6) cells/unit. All plasma units fell within specifications for residual cellular contamination and storage parameters. The performances of the TACSI whole blood system allow for the preparation of low volume buffy coats with a recovery of 90% of whole blood platelets. Haemoglobin losses in TACSI BC are smaller, but this did not result in higher haemoglobin content of red cells. These BC are suitable for the production of platelet concentrates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From these in vitro data, red blood cell concentrates produced using TACSI whole blood are suitable for clinical use with a quality at least equivalent to the control group.
authors.affiliation: Service du Sang, Croix-Rouge de Belgique, Suarlée, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lotens
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Najdovski
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cellier
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ernotte
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lambermont
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rapaille
mesh_terms: D001771:Blood Banks; D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000379:methods*; D016913:Blood Component Transfusion; D002498:Centrifugation / Q000379:methods; D004912:Erythrocytes; D006801:Humans; D007937:Leukapheresis / Q000379:methods; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D011786:Quality Control
keywords: TACSI WB; blood components; separation system; storage study