130997Improving Blood TransfusionClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UKDonated blood deteriorates in storage so that it no longer carries oxygen efficiently. After transfusion, it can take 48 hrs to become fully reactivated.Donated blood may initially reduce the oxygen-carrying efficiency of thepatient’s own blood. The longer the blood is stored, the greater the risk. Our objective is to investigate a technology that promises to reduce, or reverse, deterioration in storage. The major benefits in extending the activelife of donated blood are: • the risk to the patient is reduced and • an extended shelf-life reduces wastage. The novel technology passes blood over a membrane impervious to blood, but through which gases can pass. In this way, the concentrations of gases in theblood can be accurately controlled.