Comparison of plateletpheresis with two different cell separators using 100 identical donors.

Plateletpheresis with the cell separator COBE Spectra and Fenwal CS 3000 was compared in 100 identical donors. The Spectra was significantly superior with regard to collection efficiency (53% vs. 42%, p less than .001) and leukocyte contamination of the platelet products (.1 x 10(8) vs. 1.4 x 10(8), p less than .001). Additionally, it offers a selectable volume of the concentrate and a better control of the ACD infusion. The Spectra standard procedure needs more ACD, resulting in more citrate dependent donor reactions (5% vs. 1%). In conclusion, the Spectra system shows a more efficient and pure platelet separation compared with the CS 3000.