2025.0015

Macopharma-brand Quadruple Blood Bag, 2024. NHS Blood and Transplant Department.

Production date

2024

Production place

France

Production organisations

Macopharma

Associated organisations

NHS Blood and Transplant

Associated place

Leeds

Labels

Macopharma quadruple blood bags are specialised medical devices used to collect whole blood and then separate it into different components (red blood cells, plasma, and platelets). These blood bags are used in blood donor centres in the UK. Potential donors have a choice of either donating whole blood or plasma. They can donate whole blood every 12 or 16 weeks, whilst plasma can be donated as often as every two weeks. When donating plasma, your blood goes through a machine which extracts the plasma and returns the other blood components to your body. This is why people who donate plasma are able to do so more often. The quadruple blood bags are not used for sole plasma donations, but are helpful for whole blood donation because transfusion recipients can be given exactly what they need: the three components can be separated and used to treat many different conditions. As a result, one blood donation can save up to three lives.

Sarah Chadwick, PhD Researcher