Plasma Thawers. Advantages and differences of dry thawing from water bath
Plasma thawers are designed for gentle, safe, uniform, and fast thawing and warming of frozen cryoprecipitate and Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) before transfusion. Uncontrolled thawing carry a risk of damaging vital components. Exceeding temperature limits and rapid thawing can result in protein damage, deterioration of material quality, and spoilage of the product. Thawing devices facilitate rapid plasma warming while preventing the risk of coagulation, as the impact on chemical composition is minimal.
A thawing device is required for thawing a fluid immediately before transfusion. After the thawing, blood components retain their original volume, composition, and biological activity.
Plasma thawers are used in blood services performing hemotransfusion therapy and hospitals (intensive care units, operating theaters, and resuscitation departments).
Several types of plasma thawers can be distinguished:
- Water Bath
Immersing plasma bags into a bath with water heated to the required temperature. Blood bags are placed in a special basket, shaken periodically for even mixing until thawing is complete.
- Dry Thawing
An integrated heat exchanger inside the compartment heats a sealed bag with water. Plasma bags are placed in the "warm bag" for safe thawing without direct contact with water. Depending on the capacity of the plasma thawer, multiple plasma bags can be thawed simultaneously.
In many countries, water baths with a temperature of 37 °C is the most commonly used device for thawing plasma and blood. The water bath method involves manually immersing the product directly into water, controlling the temperature, and periodically mixing/shaking bags or vials until completely thawed.
When using water baths, there is a risk of microbial contamination of the product, leading to serious consequences for patients. Mechanical impacts on blood or plasma bags during thawing in water baths can create small cracks, allowing pathogens to penetrate blood components. This concern led to the abandonment of water baths in many countries. Additionally, water baths impose an additional burden on already busy medical staff due to constant monitoring and maintenance, including water replacement after each use (inconvenient and unsafe).
Modern and safer models use dry contactless thawing technology. Significant improvement in the quality of plasma thawers is achieved by using thawers with forced plasma mixing. These thawers use special mixing devices that mechanically impact the walls of polymer containers during thawing, providing wave-like movements.
TAHAT offers a plasma and blood thawer with dry thawing technology - PlasmaBox.
PlasmaBox is a compact device for dry thawing that gently thaws products in a special sealed bag with distilled water, using state-of-the-art mixing technology for plasma bags.
Plasma Thawer Features:
- Modern dry thawing technology without direct contact with water.
- High patient safety due to a minimal risk of plasma contamination.
- Forced plasma mixing mode ensures gentle thawing.
- Simultaneous thawing of up to 9 plasma bags (for PlasmaBox L model).
- Up to 18 temperature control sensors (PlasmaBox L model).
- Thawing bags from 250 to 1000 ml in each compartment.
Plasma Thawer Technology and Operation Principle:
The operation principle is based on dry contactless thawing without the use of "open water" or water baths.
The thawer consists of compartments (from 1 to 3 compartments) with transparent lids and an independent control panel. Inside the compartment is a heat exchanger that heats the water bag. Plasma bags are placed in a "warm bag" for safe thawing without direct contact with water.
Temperature and leakage sensors insure a precise control of the temperature, prevent overheating, and report leaks promptly.
For fast and uniform thawing, a gentle mixing system is used - special rings mechanically impact plasma bags, providing wave-like movements.
Easy maintenance:
- No need to drain and change water daily; fast and easy replacement of a sealed water bag once a year.
- Easy care with standard non-abrasive cleaning and disinfecting agents.
- Convenient handles for transportation.
- Wireless monitoring and device diagnostics on-site by service specialists.