Haemonetics(R) Launches Next Generation Mobile Blood Donation System

Main Category: Blood / Hematology
Also Included In: Transplants / Organ Donations;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 02 Mar 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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Haemonetics Corporation announced today FDA clearance and U.S. launch of the Cymbal system, the Company's innovative blood collection system. The Cymbal system is highly portable and designed for ease-of-use and donor comfort while collecting two units of red blood cells from one blood donor in a single donation.

At half the size of Haemonetics' first generation technology, the Cymbal system is highly mobile, can be battery operated, and meets blood collectors' need to cost effectively collect more blood on community blood drives. The consumable used with the device allows blood collectors to leuko-reduce the red cells during the collection process, saving processing time and cost. Leuko-reduction removes white blood cells that can potentially be harmful if transfused to a patient.

Red cells are the most frequently transfused blood component, yet they are also often in short supply. Red cells carry oxygen to vital organs and are part of life-saving treatments for trauma, surgical, and anemia patients. Historically, red cells have been manually separated from whole blood, netting one transfusible dose of red cells from one blood donation. The Cymbal system collects two units of red cells, safely, in one blood donation.

Haemonetics invented the first automated red cell collection system, known as the MCS(R)+ mobile collection system, which has now been used in more than one million blood donations around the world. The Company estimates that the automated red cell collection market has a $380 million market potential and only about 10% of the market currently penetrated.

The Company further announced the launch this month of a second protocol for the Cymbal system in Europe. The newest protocol allows European blood collectors to leuko-reduce the red cell units in the same way as the U.S. system.

Peter Allen, President of the Donor Division, said, "We're excited to leverage our experience and market leadership in automated red cell collection with this innovative new technology. The enhanced features of the Cymbal system offer exactly what our customers have been asking for and will facilitate customer adoption of automated technology as they look for ways to reduce costs, enhance blood safety, and increase blood availability. Moreover, the Haemonetics brand ensures quality and reliable, long-term customer support."

Haemonetics (NYSE: HAE) is a global company engaged in the design, manufacture and worldwide marketing of automated blood processing systems. These systems address important medical markets: surgical blood salvage, blood component collection, plasma collection, and blood component safety. To learn more about Haemonetics' products and markets, visit its web site at http://www.haemonetics.com.

Haemonetics Corporation
http://www.haemonetics.com

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