By RUTHANN RICHTER

The new system uses a process known as apheresis in which the various components of the blood are separated out by a centrifuge. Red blood cells are relatively easy to extract as they are heavier than other components of blood and naturally drop to the bottom when subjected to the centrifuge, said Susan Galel, MD, director of clinical operations at the blood center.

Jay Hammer chats with blood center staff during a recent visit to give red blood cells. Hammer was among the first to try out the new apheresis machine, which separates blood components during donation. Photo: Eric Weissman

While the machine collects the red cells, it reinfuses the donor’s plasma and platelets back into the body, along with a saline solution to replace lost fluid volume. "Studies show that the donors feel better after apheresis donations because they get salt water back during the process. So when they walk out of here, they don’t feel like they’ve given blood at all," she said. The entire process takes about 25 minutes.

In one visit, donors can give two half-pints of red cells, compared to the usual one pint of whole blood, which contains a half-pint of red cells and a half-pint of plasma, Galel said.

"Patients need more red cells than plasma, so it’s a much more valuable donation for us," she said. "Donors can give twice as many red cells and feel better."

Apheresis is not new to the blood center; it has been using this method for decades to extract hard-to-find platelets from donors, a process that can take an hour or two. Platelets are specialized cells that help in the clotting process and are particularly needed by cancer patients and those undergoing bone marrow transplants. But as blood centers around the country have become increasingly pressed for donations, the apheresis method is being adapted to step up collections of iron-rich red cells as well.

"As our donor base decreases, we have to find more ways to collect blood and help patients, and this is one way to do it," said Michael Sage, a supervisor at the center.

The blood center has spent the last few months preparing and testing the new apheresis equipment and gearing up for use with the general public. One day in December, longtime blood donor George Mount, a software engineer from Palo Alto, was among the first to test out the new system.

After a gentle needle poke in his right arm from technician Sigrid Morris, Mount was hooked into the centrifuge, which clicked away as it alternately removed his red cells and then fed back the unneeded components. Unlike standard donors, apheresis donors also get the benefit of being able to watch movies or TV shows to help pass the time. Mount said he felt pretty good during the process.

"I’ve got the best job in the house — lying here with a nice warm blanket," he said. He added he rarely experiences any ill effects after donating blood and did not notice any difference in how he felt afterwards. "It was easy," he said after the procedure as he munched on pretzels and chocolates.

The Food and Drug Administration has set specific weight and height requirements for donors who can undergo the double red cell procedure. Most men qualify because of their relatively large size, Galel said. "The technology is primarily applicable to men because they tend to be bigger and have much larger blood volumes than women," she said.

The only drawback to the technology is that donors must wait 16 weeks, rather than the usual eight, before giving red cells again because so much iron is removed during the process, Galel said.

The procedure is available at the blood center’s apheresis collection site at 780 Welch Road. For appointments, call 723-7831.

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