Platelet Donation
What are thrombocytes?
Platelets are a normal part of human blood. They are involved in hemostasis, e.g. they seal off external and internal injuries. A pronounced thrombocyte deficiency leads to insatiable bleeding. A lack of blood platelets occurs, for example, in diseases of the haematopoietic system, as part of bone marrow transplantation, often also after serious accidents. They can be obtained with a cell separator (thrombocytapheresis) from the blood of a healthy donor.
Procedure of platelet donation
In this technical process, your blood is passed through a sterile disposable tube system into the cell separator, where a centrifuge with a plastic centrifuge insert rotates, adding an anticoagulant (citrate) which binds calcium. The platelets are enriched in the centrifuge and collected in a bag. The process ensures that a large proportion of the thrombocytes are collected and that almost all other blood components flow back into the donor's body. The procedure takes about 1 to 2 hours. Since only disposable items are used, transmission of diseases by cell separation is not possible.