Optimizing a buffy coat pooling protocol for the production of pathogen inactivated double unit platelet concentrates

Worldwide, different methods for the production of pooled platelets (PPs) are used. In Europe, the primary approach for producing PPs is the buffy coat (BC) method, pooling 4 to 8 BCs to produce a single or double unit of platelets. We aimed to increase the yield of blood products by optimizing manufacturing steps, ranging from the whole blood unit to the pooling process.

We compared five different pooling approaches by measuring the volume and the platelet concentrates. First, we measured PP (n=107) from a 5 BC pool concentrate, the standard product from our blood bank. Second, we switched from pooling 5 BCs to 6 BCs to increase the platelet count (n=110). Third, we used a new hematology analyzer (Symex XN-1000) equipped with a special mode to measure platelet concentrates (n=107). Fourth, we implemented an adjusted BC program on the blood cell separators to produce a higher volume in the BC and the PP (n=107). Fifth, we adapted the second (soft) spin of our centrifugation protocol (n=197). The cutoff yield for dividing a concentrate is ≥ 4.4 unit.

Optimizing the manufacturing steps significantly increased the yield of the products (P<0.001). The mean yield of the blood product was 2.83 (SD 0.39) for approach one, 3.12 (0.38) for approach two, 4.03 (0.49) for approach three, 4.30 (0.53) for approach four, and 4.81 (0.58) for approach five.

In addition to increasing the number of BCs, optimizing BC volume, analyzer selection, and centrifuge protocol in the manufacturing process of PP shows that 6 BC are sufficient to produce double unit platelet concentrates, thereby reducing costs and minimizing waste of blood.

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