Background: The Mirasol pathogen reduction technology (PRT) system uses riboflavin and ultraviolet light and is currently approved and used in Europe for the treatment of platelets and plasma. Mirasol treatment is intended to reduce the infectious pathogen load and to inactivate leukocytes in blood products. Our objective was to evaluate buffy coat platelet concentrates (BCPCs) prepared with platelet additive solution (PAS) and treated with the Mirasol system and to examine the effects on platelet cell quality during storage. Methods: 26 BCPCs were prepared and split, creating 13 paired control and test units. The test units were treated with the Mirasol system and the platelet quality was assessed in all units over 7 days of storage. Results: All products met the incoming specifications for Mirasol treatment, and the pH of all Mirasol-treated BCPCs in PAS met the requirements of the Council of Europe guidelines throughout storage. Analysis of lactate production and glucose consumption rates, CD62p expression and cytokines indicates enhanced cellular metabolism in treated platelets, but the levels were within previously published ranges. Conclusion: While Mirasol-treated BCPCs in PAS had increased metabolism and activation compared to controls, the results indicate that these units can be stored for 7 days with acceptable cell quality.

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The objective of the present study was to describe the experience of the Blood and Tissues Bank of Aragon with the Reveos® Automated Blood Processing System and Mirasol® Pathogen Reduction Technology (PRT) System, comparing retrospectively routine quality data obtained in two different observation periods. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Comparing quality data encompassing 6,525 blood components from the period 2007–2012, when the semi-automated buffy coat method was used in routine, with 6,553 quality data from the period 2014–2019, when the Reveos system and subsequently the Mirasol system were implemented in routine. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Moving from buffy coat to Reveos led to decreased discard rates of whole blood units (1.2 to 0.1%), increased hemoglobin content (48.1 ± 7.6 to 55.4 ± 6.6 g/unit), and hematocrit (58.9 ± 6.5% to 60.0 ± 4.9%) in red blood cell concentrates. Platelet concentrates (PCs) in both periods had similar yields (3.5 ×10¹¹). Whereas in the earlier period, PCs resulted from pooling 5 buffy coats, in the second period 25% of PCs were prepared from 4 interim platelet units. The mean level of factor VIII in plasma was significantly higher with Reveos (92.8 vs. 97.3 IU). Mirasol PRT treatment of PCs reduced expiry rates to 1.2% in 2019. One septic transmission was reported with a non-PRT treated PCs, but none with PRT-treated PCs. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Automation contributed to standardization, efficiency, and improvement of blood processing. Released resources enabled the effortless implementation of PRT. The combination of both technologies guaranteed the self-sufficiency and improvement of blood safety.

Treatment of blood components with the Mirasol PRT System has proven to be safe for patients and is not associated with increased rates and grades of adverse events in patients of hospitals in the Warsaw Region.

Despite the fact that PLT aggregates occur in PLT products, published data on this topic remain scant. Considering the concern of clinicians about this phenomenon, more studies are needed which should focus on the possible clinical impact of such aggregates and precautions to avoid PLT aggregate formation in PLT products.

In 2014-2015, the Luxembourg Red Cross (LRC) implemented a fully automated system (FAS) able to process 4 whole blood units simultaneously, and a pathogen reduction technology (PRT) based on riboflavin and ultraviolet light to improve safety of platelet concentrates (PCs). In this observational study, the impact of both technologies to enable this centralised blood transfusion centre to provide safe and timely blood components supply for the whole country was analysed. Standard quality control parameters for blood components, productivity and safety were compared from data collected with the conventional semi-automated buffy coat method and with FAS/PRT. The FAS decreased processing time when compared with the buffy coat method and facilitated the daily routine at the LRC. Red blood cell concentrates, plasma units and PCs prepared with both methods were conform to the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare specifications. PCs prepared by FAS showed high yields, with decreased variability when the device-related software (T-Pool Select) was used. PRT had minimal impact on platelet yields and product quality and induced no increase in transfusion reaction notifications. The FAS and PRT transformed the daily routine of blood component manufacture by allowing increased productivity and efficiency, notwithstanding resource containment and without impacting quality, yet promoting safety.