Who Invented the Process of Separating Blood Plasma?

In 1938, Charles Drew, an African-American medical resident at Columbia University invented the process of blood plasma transfusion. The process entails separating whole blood (red blood cells) from blood plasma by centrifuge.

The Problem

• The problem that Dr. Drew solved was the risk of mistyping blood upon transfusion, which can lead to blood clumping and often death. Blood also did not store for long.

The Solution

• Dr. Drew recognized that a liquid solution in blood called "plasma" would solve these problems. Plasma is generally frozen and thus easily stored, and it can last a year or more. This solution made transfusions available on a large scale.

The Process

• Because red blood cells are denser than the rest of the contents of blood, they can be centrifuged out, with the red blood cells settling on the bottom.

The Need

• In emergencies, red blood cells are not as necessary as the clotting factors and volume-building benefit of plasma. Furthermore, the side effects of cross-typing (matching the wrong blood types between donor and recipient) are insignificant compared to those of mismatching red blood cells. This is because the platelets in the plasma are quickly diffused in the recipient's bloodstream.

A Common Myth

• A common misconception is that Dr. Drew bled to death after a car crash because a whites-only hospital would not admit him. Actually, he was admitted to the hospital, and even received a transfusion. Unfortunately, his own invention was not enough to save him. He was 46 years of age.