I-Corps: Dry Preservation of Blood for Long-Term Storage at Ambient Temperatures

University Of Louisville Research Foundation Inc, Louisville KY

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of dried blood for storage at ambient temperatures. Blood transfusions are one of the most common medical procedures in U.S. hospitals and the global market for blood products is over $30 billion. However, red blood cells can only be stored up to six weeks when refrigerated. Red blood cells can be frozen for longer durations using glycerol but the thawing and processing steps are complex and time-consuming. Due to these limitations the blood supply is limited or non-existent in austere environments. Dry preservation of red blood cells at ambient temperatures would enable rapid blood transfusions in austere environments where blood storage is not currently feasible, which would likely save lives in these remote locations. In addition, dried blood is expected to also have an impact on the blood supply for veterinary transfusions. Furthermore, this technology may enable dry preservation of many other cell types for research and medical applications. It is expected that this technology will have a significant impact on human healthcare and will revolutionize civilian and military applications where long-term storage of blood is currently impossible. This I-Corps project will provide new insights into potential commercialization opportunities for dried blood. A new method has been developed which utilizes ultrasound and microfluidics technology to load red blood cells with trehalose in order to protect the cell membranes when preserved in a dried state. Results from experimental studies have found that this method yields a significant increase in recovery of viable red blood cells compared to other approaches. The activities of this I-Corps project will aid in identifying or excluding potential areas of market fit for dried blood, including military use, veterinary use, blood banking, hospitals/medical centers, and cell preservation for research applications. Customer discovery interviews will provide new insights into the unmet needs and pain points for providers of blood transfusions and other cell preservation applications. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.