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How is cord blood collected?
After the birth of the baby the umbilical cord is clamped and separated from the baby. The attending physician or nurse/midwife will then draw the blood from the umbilical cord after the mother delivers the placenta. The blood is obtained painlessly and risk free by inserting a needle into the umbilical vein after cleansing the umbilical cord. The blood drains into a regular blood collection bag by gravity. The procedure is non-invasive and painless, unlike bone marrow donations which require general anesthesia and a recovery period. The sample is then transported to Cryobanks International where laboratory technicians process and store the cord blood stem cells in liquid nitrogen where it has an indefinite lifespan.
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How soon after birth do you need to process the cord blood?
The cord blood must be processed within 48 hours of birth. Although there is no appreciable cell loss up to 72 hours, accrediting standards require processing of donated cord blood within 48 hours.
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Do you use a bag or syringe to collect cord blood?
We use the closed system bag which significantly reduces the chance of bacterial or fungal infection.
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What is the cord blood stored in - bags or vials?
We store in bags to aid in the prevention of cross-contamination. The bags we use are manufactured by Pall-Medsep and have two sections, one for the bulk of the unit and another for a smaller part of the unit to be used for expansion if necessary.
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What is the storage method - liquid or vapors?
We use state-of-the-art nitrogen vapor tanks providing consistent temperature throughout. Older vapor tanks may have large variations in temperature that can affect the viability of the cells. Storing in liquid nitrogen tanks opens up the possibility of the spread of disease. For example, hepatitis G will travel through liquid nitrogen.
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What measures are taken to ensure the security of the storage tank itself?
The storage tanks are located in a single temperature controlled, secure room in the interior of our offices in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Technicians are on-site seven days a week year round. The building has a sophisticated security system. In addition, each tank has a computerized monitor to check temperature, fill level, etc. In the event of any unusual or non-programmed experience, an alarm will sound and technicians are automatically paged and notified. There is an indoor sprinkler system and round the clock security service personnel patrolling the property. Finally, we are on a priority repair status with the local utility providers.
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Is the blood stored whole or is it processed?
We process the cord blood to deplete it of red cells. During the approximately three hour processing time, we isolate the stem cells which are then coated with a cryopreservative, slowly cooled to -190° C and placed in state-of-the-art nitrogen vapor tanks for long term storage.
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Do you process and store the cord blood at your facility?
We process and store all cord blood units in our facility in Altamonte Springs, Florida.
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My doctor wants to be paid to collect my cord blood. What should I do?
If you are donating, make sure your doctor understands that you are not profiting from this and that in fact, the cord blood is made available to anyone who needs it.
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