Lakewood, CO, U.S.A. – Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies (Terumo BCT), a global leader in blood management solutions, has launched the Reveos™ Automated Blood Processing System in the United States to help blood centers meet blood and platelet supply needs while helping their staff work more efficiently. Carter BloodCare in Texas is getting ready to implement Reveos to manufacture platelets, red blood cells and plasma for transfusion.
"Reveos is a revolutionary technology that automates whole blood processing. By streamlining the process, it significantly improves efficiency and consistency compared to traditional manual methods used by U.S. blood centers," says Chetan Makam, General Manager, Global Blood Solutions, Terumo BCT. "It's a new way to be more efficient for blood centers, for processing whole blood into its components including platelets. Reveos will help blood centers do more with the blood donors already walking through the doors."
Whole blood donations are common at community blood drives and blood centers. Those whole blood donations are usually separated, using a centrifuge, into their respective components — plasma, platelets and red blood cells. Healthcare providers use the different blood components for various patients based on need. In the U.S., the processing of whole blood required a series of more than 20 steps before Terumo BCT introduced Reveos.
Reveos is the first whole blood automation device available in the U.S. to process whole blood into three components — platelets, plasma and red blood cell concentrates — in a single centrifugation cycle. This streamlined process helps maximize the yield of whole blood donations, addressing the ongoing challenges of platelet shortages and the need for more efficient blood processing methods.
Blood Centers of America (BCA), with more than 50 independent blood centers nationally, is the first U.S. facility to adopt Reveos. BCA and its members have undertaken a great deal of work to ready its labs and train employees in this new way of working. Nonprofit Carter BloodCare, serving north, central and east Texas, is the first in BCA with Reveos.
"Reveos is a great fit because we're interested in using technology to make blood donation centers more efficient. It helps us keep up with the increasing need for blood while also making things more operationally efficient, and that in turn, should help ease some of the labor force pressures our centers are experiencing," says Bill Block, Chief Executive Officer and President, BCA.
Reveos offers several key benefits, including:
Flexibility: By processing whole blood into three components in a single cycle, Reveos helps maximize the number of blood products produced from each donation.
Costs: Because the system is automated, it significantly reduces operational costs for whole blood processing.
Productivity: Reveos can reduce hands-on steps by up to 65% compared to manual processing methods.
The launch of the Reveos system in the U.S. comes at a critical time, as blood centers across the country continue to face challenges related to platelet shortages and staffing. By providing a more efficient and effective solution for whole blood processing, Reveos can help address these challenges and ensure a reliable supply of blood products for patients in need.
About the Reveos™ Automated Blood Processing System
Reveos is the first and only device of its kind. This easy-to-use automated system integrates the manual steps of whole blood processing. Whole blood units are collected from donors and have traditionally been separated into components — platelets, plasma and red blood cells — using a semiautomated or manual method that takes up to 26 steps. Reveos simplifies this process and eliminates over half of the steps. The system aims to help blood centers manage staffing and improve overall efficiency by obtaining more blood products from the same number of donors. Reveos has been used for more than a decade. There are 785 devices in 57 countries across five continents, and the device software is available in 17 languages to meet user needs. Reveos is expected to help U.S. blood centers meet the growing demand for platelets, which control bleeding and are used to treat patients facing trauma, cancer and chronic conditions, among others.
Up to four units of whole blood are loaded into Reveos. The rotor begins to spin, and the whole blood is separated into components. Plasma, platelets and red blood cells are expressed into their respective product bags, and each bag is sealed. After the procedure, the data is recorded on Terumo BCT's newest software, the Lumia™ Software Platform, which connects with Reveos to help blood centers and processing labs achieve operational targets.
Availability varies by region and country.
Reveos™ is either a registered trademark or a trademark of Terumo BCT, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. See TerumoBCT.com/trademarks for details.
About Blood Centers of America
Donating blood is safe and is easier than you think – it takes less than an hour and one donation can save up to three lives. Not only is it a way for people to engage with and help their community, donating blood has health benefits including a healthier heart and vascular systems, as well as a lower risk for depression and greater longevity. As the largest blood supply network in the U.S., find a Blood Centers of America (BCA) donation location near you: bca.coop/find-a-location/.
About Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies (Terumo BCT) is a medical technology company. Our products, software and services enable customers to collect and prepare blood and cells to help treat challenging diseases and conditions. Our employees worldwide believe in the potential of blood and cells to do even more for patients than they do today. This belief inspires our innovation and strengthens our collaboration with customers. Terumo BCT's customers include blood centers, hospitals, therapeutic apheresis clinics, cell collection and processing organizations, researchers and private medical practices. Our customers are based in over 160 countries across the globe. We have 750+ granted patents, with more than 150 additionally pending. We have global headquarters in Lakewood, Colorado, along with five regional headquarters, seven manufacturing sites and six innovation and development centers across the globe. Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is a subsidiary of Terumo Corporation (TSE: 4543), a global leader in medical technology.