HemoSep device to reduce surgical blood loss

One of the most common - and major - causes of death during or following a heart surgery is MBL, or Massive Blood Loss. There's really never been a way to stop the bleeding, and taking blood from another person takes time - time that could be precious to a cardiac patient who's been newly operated on - and blood transfusions can be risky, with negative reactions. So of course this problem has been accepted as unavoidable. Now, however, a new blood salvaging device has been made by the tech workers at The University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

This device, called a HemoSep, can collect blood from the surgery, concentrate the cells, and transfer it directly back to the patient through IV. During the surgery process, the device vacuums blood from the surgery site and/or from any machine used. In the HemoSep is a "blood bag", which has a chemical sponge and  agitator machine to concentrate the spilled blood for reuse. The newly reconstructed blood cells are then sent back to the patient via intravenous tubes.

A device like the HemoSep could significantly deplete the dangers of surgery, especially for something as vital as cardiac operation. It would also lessen the amount of donated blood patients would have to recieve, if not completely get rid of any need for blood donation; negative reactions to blood transfusions would also be avoided as it's the patients own blood being re-transferred, instead of blood from a foreign body. Not to mention the entire process would be simpler, since it's one simultaneous step that no longer requires several different parties such as a doner and trained professional to draw the blood.

Thus far, the HemoSep has been approved for use only in Canada and Europe. It has, however, gone through more than 100 open-heart surgeries as clinical trials with success, and did in fact reduce the need of a transfusion post-surgery. It's scheduled to come into use next month (September 2012).

                                                                   
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