THURSDAY, May 8, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- Pall Corp.'s Leukotrap blood filtration system has won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It's the first system that eliminates the need for "burping" blood collection/storage bags of excess air, a repetitive squeezing process that must now be done manually, the company says.
A single technician can burp up to about 60 bags per hour, the company estimates, a process that can lead to repetitive strain injury.
The Leukotrap system also includes Pall's technology to divert a small amount of blood that's initially drawn, since it is at much greater risk of bacterial contamination.
Here is the company's press release announcing the approval. For more information about blood donation, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
