Red Blood Cells

When the INTERCEPT™ Blood System for red blood cells becomes available, blood centres will have a complete pathogen inactivation (PI) system that covers the three main labile blood components. The adoption of PI for all three components offers the potential for numerous cost-saving initiatives. The INTERCEPT Blood System for red blood cells in currently under development.

Affordability Concept

The adoption of INTERCEPT Blood System for Platelets, Plasma and Red Cells will give the blood centres the possibilities to optimize their processes.

Under a full PI cover with the INTERCEPT Blood Systems blood centres may become independent of a gamma irradiation source (Cesium isotope or X-ray devices) for the prevention of Transfusion-associated Graft-versus-host disease. In addition, the full cover may lead to a change in the current testing paradigm: blood centres may choose to replace single unit NAT by mini-pool NAT or may move away from NAT to serology tests.

Also on the donor management side, the full PI cover may provide donor centres with the option to relax certain deferral rules, enlarging their donor pool.

Note: the INTERCEPT Blood System for Red Blood Cells is under development and is not commercially available yet.