Abstract
This chapter focuses on frozen blood products and the various methods use in the process. Blood products are frozen in order to lengthen their storage time and RBC products are cryopreserved in glycerol, which must be removed prior to transfusion. Currently, the cryopreservation of platelet products is under investigation only, autologous hemotopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) products and umbilical cord blood HPCs are routinely cryopreserved. The freezing of RBC products not only increase the duration of storage to 10 years, but also provides a product with restored levels of ATP and 2,3 DPG. Glycerol is a penetrating cryoprotective agent that is used to prevent cellular dehydration and mechanical trauma as a result of intracellular ice formation. Prior to transfusion, the frozen RBC product is thawed and the glycerol removed completely. In order to maximize the viability of frozen HPC, the cryoprotectant solution, freezing kinetics and frozen storage conditions must be optimized and addition of dimethyl sulfoxide to HPCs prior to freezing effectively prevents cellular dehydration and formation of ice crystals.
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