Irradiation of Red Blood Cells and Anaerobic Storage
A blood storage system comprising: a collection vessel for red blood cells; an oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide depletion device; a storage vessel for red blood cells; tubing connecting the collection vessel to the oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide depletion device and the oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide depletion device to the storage vessel; and a gamma or X-ray irradiating device is used to irradiate red blood cells stored in the vessel, storing red blood cells under anaerobic conditions.
1 .- 10 . (canceled)
11 . A method for storing red blood cells, the method comprising:
removing oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide from red blood cells to produce anaerobic red blood cells;
irradiating the anaerobic red blood cells, to produce irradiated anaerobic red blood cells; and
storing the irradiated anaerobic red blood cells,
wherein the red blood cells do not comprise added L-carnitine or an alkanoyl derivative, and wherein the irradiation is gamma irradiation or X-ray irradiation.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the anaerobic red blood cells comprise an oxygen-saturation of hemoglobin (SO 2 ) of less than 20%.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the oxygen-saturation of hemoglobin (SO 2 ) is less than 5%.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the oxygen-saturation of hemoglobin (SO 2 ) is less than 3%.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide is removed via an oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide depletion device comprising:
a cartridge;
a plurality of hollow fibers or gas-permeable films extending within the cartridge from an entrance to an exit thereof, wherein the hollow fibers or gas-permeable films are adapted to receiving and conveying red blood cells; and
an amount of both an oxygen scavenger or an oxygen and a carbon dioxide scavenger packed within the cartridge and contiguous to and in between the plurality of hollow fibers.
16 . The method of to claim 11 , further comprising leuko-reduction filtering of the red blood cells prior to removing oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide from the red blood cells.
17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising treating the red blood cells with an additive solution prior to removing oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide from the red blood cells.
18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the storing of the irradiated anaerobic red blood cells is at a temperature from between about 1° C. to about 6° C. and under oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide depleted conditions.
19 . A method for storing red blood cells, the method comprising:
irradiating red blood cells to produce irradiated red blood cells;
removing oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide from the irradiated red blood cells to produce irradiated anaerobic red blood cells; and
storing the irradiated anaerobic red blood cells under oxygen or oxygen and carbon dioxide depleted conditions,
wherein the red blood cells do not comprise added L-carnitine or an alkanoyl derivative, and wherein the irradiation is gamma irradiation or X-ray irradiation.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the anaerobic red blood cells comprise an oxygen-saturation of hemoglobin (SO 2 ) of less than 20%.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the oxygen-saturation of hemoglobin (SO 2 ) is less than 5%.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the oxygen-saturation of hemoglobin (SO 2 ) is less than 3%.
23 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the irradiation is gamma irradiation.
24 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the irradiation is X-ray irradiation.
25 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the irradiation is gamma irradiation.
26 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the irradiation is X-ray irradiation.