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There’s a Keystone in every great invention.

Battery Clips	Key-Pad Dome Switches	Plugs, Pins, Jacks & Sockets	LED Lenses & Spacers

Plugged-In Plasma: Navigating the Electronic Era of Transfusion Medicine

At this year’s MD&M West Show held February 4-6 in Anaheim, CA, there were 112 exhibitors specifically focused on Fluid Control, Control Systems, and IV products, commonly used in blood transfusion and other types of transfusions. However, many of us may not realize that blood transfusions are approaching their 400^th anniversary.

Back in 1628, William Harvey laid the groundwork for blood transfusion technology by discovering that blood circulated throughout the body. The first successful blood transfusion occurred some 40 years later when English physician Richard Lower transfused blood between dogs. Two years later in 1667, Jean-Baptiste Denis and Richard Lower separately reported transfusions from lambs to humans. It was 151 years later when James Blundell recorded the first successful human-to-human blood transfusion to treat a postpartum hemorrhage. He did this by extracting four ounces of blood from the patient’s husband and transfusing it to the wife using a syringe.

Several milestones took place from 1900 - 1937 advancing the science of blood transfusions starting with Karl Landsteiner’s discovery in 1900 of the three human blood groups A, B and C (later changed to type O). In 1907, Reuben Ottenberg performed the first blood transfusion using blood typing and crossmatching. 1914 saw the discovery of sodium citrate as an anticoagulant enabling indirect blood transfusions and blood storage. Finally in 1917, Oswald Robertson established the first blood bank with the United States’ first blood Bank being established in 1937. These advancements significantly improved the safety, efficiency and success rate of blood transfusions, paving the way for today’s modern transfusion processes and procedures.

Electronics were gradually introduced to blood transfusion processes throughout the 20th century with significant advancements taking place after the 1950s. With the application of plastic bags replacing breakable glass bottles for blood collection, safer and easier electronic monitoring of blood products began to take off. In the 1970s, the apheresis process was discovered which utilized electronic controls to extract specific blood components while returning the balance to the donor. In the 1980s and 90s, electronic screening tests for various blood-borne diseases were developed and implemented, proving invaluable for AIDs, HIV and Hepatitis C. The early 2000s saw the use of electronic patient identification systems using barcodes and handheld computers to improve transfusion safety and reduce errors.

Today, electronic blood management systems (EBMS) are widely used to reduce rates of sample rejection and blood wastage compared to paper-based systems. Automated blood collection and processing equipment are used to separate blood cells (apheresis systems) and to recognize when a recipient has a valid type (electronic crossmatching systems).

Monitoring, control and safety equipment include electronic infusion pumps to precisely control blood flow rates, while digital vital sign monitors track patient blood pressure, temperature, pulse and oxygen levels (pulse oximeters) during transfusions.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the advancements in laboratory and storage equipment which includes advanced analyzers and testing equipment to ensure blood safety and compatibility along with the electronically controlled refrigerators and freezers used to maintain optimal storage conditions for blood and blood components. Blood warmers are used to warm blood and IV fluids before being administered to patients to prevent hypothermia and other complications.

It is clear that the integration of electronics into blood transfusion processes during the past several decades, has enabled healthcare providers to significantly reduce errors, improve efficiency and enhance patient safety. Keystone Electronics components are found in many of the products mentioned above including Battery & Coin Cell Holders, Contacts & Clips, Metal Key-Pad Dome Switches, Plugs, Pins, Jacks & Sockets, Spacers & Standoffs, LED Spacers & Lens Caps, Multi-Purpose Hardware, to name just a few. We continue to design and manufacture products that allow the medical electronics field to keep flourishing.