What is autotransfusion?
The idea of being able to recover a patient’s own blood and put it back into their body.
Why is this in the news?
The Hemosep is a new machine devised by Strathclyde University’s biomedical engineering department that may mean autotransfusion will be regularly viable during major surgery.
Why wasn’t it viable before?
It has typically involved large, complex, centrifugal devices that require skilled operators. Also, it takes a lot of time and can be very expensive.
Was it just a cost issue?
No – the machines used in many hospitals return just the red blood cells, eliminating the platelets needed for clotting and the white cells required to fight infection.
How does this new device work?
It removes blood from the surgical site, then it takes out the plasma and returns the vital blood cells to the patient through a single lightweight device.
How does it remove the plasma?
The recovered blood is poured into a special bag, which acts like a chemical “sponge”, soaking up plasma, so that the resulting transfusion is rich in the vital blood cells needed by the patient.
Is it being used already?
Yes, in China, India, Canada, the US, France and the Middle East. The Ministry of Defence is trialling a special version of the device. However, it is not currently being used in the NHS.
