Oxygen transfer resistance as a criterion of blood ageing

Abstract

A modified rapid flow technique was used in order to measure the rate of oxygen transfer out of red blood cells of different ages. The oxygen transfer rate is expressed as a mass transfer coefficient determined in blood samples that were stored in the local blood bank for different periods of time. The results show that the resistance to oxygen transfer increases with age. This suggests that the decrease in the quality of stored blood is due, partially at least, to changes in the red blood cell membrane. The method can also provide a functional way of testing the quality of stored blood.