Take you to understand the blood bag

Do you know about blood bags? Disposable plastic blood bags are mainly composed of blood collection bags, transfer bags, and blood preservation solutions of corresponding specifications. Blood bags have many types, and different uses determine what kind of blood bags are used.

In this article, we will take you to understand the following knowledge about blood bags. Continue reading!

Table of Contents:

1. What are blood bags?

2. What material are blood bags made of?

3. What shape is the blood bag?

4. What types of blood bags are there?

5. What accessories are available for blood bags?

1. What are blood bags?

A disposable plastic blood bag is a sealed container that integrates blood collection, separation, transfer, storage, and infusion operations. The blood bag consists of a blood collection tube, a blood collection needle, a blood transfusion socket, an anticoagulant or maintenance solution, a bag-type plastic container for a transfer tube, and an accessory blood bag. The blood bag has the advantages of convenient operation, avoiding blood pollution, improving the quality of blood transfusion, reducing transfusion reactions, and making full use of blood sources. Blood bags are widely used in the field of modern clinical medicine.

In fact, a blood bag should be called a blood collection bag, which directly collects blood from the donor body and stores it in the blood bag, processes separately, or infuses it into another patient.

Blood bags have suitable air permeability and excellent pressure resistance. On the one hand, it is beneficial to the normal metabolism of blood, especially platelets. On the other hand, it can also effectively reduce the breakage rate of blood bags, which is a fundamental element for ensuring blood quality.

2. What material are blood bags made of?

Blood bags are usually made of medical-grade PVC. PVC is somewhat oxygen permeable, not water permeable, and sufficiently heat resistant so that it can be sterilization with steam before use.

Blood bags made of medical-grade PVC will not break or tear in a centrifuge. It stays intact even when severely bent, is flexible when pressed, and is translucent in color to check that the bag is full. In addition, the material is also cost-effective, so it is relatively easy to fabricate and weld the required pipes.

3. What shape is the blood bag?

Tubular Film:

The tubular film is a straight tube-shaped PVC film. The sides of the tubular film have been pressed, and the shape does not change much. The price is a little cheaper than the flat film.

Flat Film:

The flat film is sheet-like and needs to be laminated to make a blood bag. The sides of the flat film need to be laminated with a certain width, which consumes more materials and is more expensive than the tubular film.

4. What types of blood bags are there?

Blood bags have four types: single blood bag, double blood bag, triple blood bag, and quadruple blood bag.

Single blood bag:

The single blood bag is used for the collection of whole blood, storage of blood components, and blood transfusion. The main bag contains the CPDA-1 anticoagulant solution, the blood enters the bag and seals the catheter without further processing components, and the unit is transfused as whole blood.

Single blood bag
Main bag Volume	150ml	250ml	350ml	450ml	500ml

Double blood bags:

Double blood bags are used to collect and separate whole blood obtained through the centrifugal process to separate two different blood components: red blood cells and plasma.

In a multi-bag system, the bag with the anticoagulant is the main bag into which the blood goes, which is the exact same type of main bag as a single blood bag, but with an extra empty bag (called a transfer bag or satellite bag) attached to the double-gang blood bag. After centrifugation of whole blood, two components are produced, a concentrate of red blood cells suspended in plasma in the main bag and plasma in the transfer bag.

Double blood bag
Main bag Volume	150ml	250ml	350ml	450ml	500ml
Transfer bag volume	150ml	250ml	350ml	450ml	500ml

Triple blood bag:

Triple blood bags are used to collect and separate three different blood components obtained by centrifugation and separation process: red blood cells, plasma, platelet concentrate, or whole blood of cryoprecipitate.

The triple blood bag system can be used with CPDA-1 or CPD/SAG-M anticoagulant solutions. Five- or seven-day platelet storage bags are optional. The triple bag includes a main bag containing CPDA-1 and two transfer bags. This configuration is used to manufacture platelet concentrates from platelet-rich plasma or to collect cryoprecipitate from fresh frozen plasma.

Triple blood bag
Main bag Volume	150ml	250ml	350ml	450ml	500ml
Transfer bag volume	150ml	250ml	350ml	450ml	500ml

Quadruple blood bag:

PRP Method: Whole blood for the collection and separation of four different blood components obtained by centrifugation and separation processes: plasma, erythrocytes, platelets, and cryoprecipitate.

BC Method: For whole blood collection and separation of three different blood components: leukocyte-depleted plasma, leukocyte-depleted erythrocytes, and platelets from the buffy coat, obtained by a centrifugation and separation process.

The quadruple blood bag system is available with CPDA-1 or CPD/SAG-M anticoagulant solution, and 5- or 7-day platelet storage bags are optional. The four-bag system consists of a main bag with CPDA-1 anticoagulant and three transfer bags.

Triple blood bag
Main bag Volume	150ml	250ml	350ml	450ml	500ml
Transfer bag volume	150ml	250ml	350ml	450ml	500ml

5. What accessories are available for blood bags?

1) Needle shield

It's here to protect the nurse from getting stabbed.

2) Double-ended blood bag

3) Sample collection system

Blood samples can be collected to test whether the blood sample is qualified and whether there are germs, etc.

4) Sample collection system & Sample Keeping Bag

5) Leukocyte removal filter

Leukocyte-removing filters have two types: whole blood type and red blood cell type.

6) blood platelet bag

Platelet bags have two types: 5-day platelet bags and 7-day platelet bags.

7) Stop clip