Supply of Cord Blood Collection Systems

Cord blood (i.e. blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord following birth of a baby) is rich in stem cells and can be used to treat patients who are suffering from life threatening diseases, including Malignancies, Bone Marrow failure, Haemoglobinopathies, Immunodeficiencies and Metabolic disorders. The NHS Cord Blood Bank collects cord blood at 5 NHS hospitals and is responsible for the processing, cryopreservation, storage and issue of hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation. It is one of the largest internationally accredited cord blood banks in the world, with a high percentage of rare tissue types. The basic requirement is for collection systems to enable a collection volume of up to 200ml plus 10 percent and maintain the quality of the cord blood and viability/ functionality of the stem/ progenitor cells until cryopreservation.