Pall Corporation (Pall) has launched Leukotrap Affinity Plus Prion and Leukocyte Reduction Filter System. The new blood filter reduces prions and leukocytes in a single step. The Leukotrap Affinity Plus System is CE marked in accordance with requirements set out in the Medical Devices Directive (93/42/EEC).
The company claims that Pall Leukotrap Affinity Plus System reduces PRPSC prion by >3 LOG on average, based on Western blot methodology. As a primary leukocyte and prion reduction technology, it also facilitates superior hemoglobin recovery to meet current EU requirements.
The company said that the CE marking of the Pall Leukotrap Affinity Plus System supports new guidance from the UK’s Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO), which recently recommended pre-transfusion filtration of red blood cells to remove prions, for children born after January 1, 1996.
The guidance, subject to completion of clinical trials currently underway in UK, is a response to the incidence of vCJD in the wake of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) cases in Europe.
Eric Krasnoff, chairman and CEO of Pall, said: “We commend SaBTO for taking an important lead in securing the UK’s blood supply from this devastating disease. Pall’s Leukotrap System reflects our ongoing commitment to advancing blood safety and availability. It builds on Pall’s legacy of innovation as the originator of leukocyte filtration. Introduced in the early 1990’s, Pall’s leukoreduction filters are the global standard of care for transfusion medicine.”