Rapid Low-Cost Bacterial Screening of Banked Blood

There is increasing awareness about the problems associated with blood transfusions. One concern isbacterial contaimination of blood bags. If contaminated blood is transfused, the person receiving thbecoming sick and dying. Current standards require that blood be visually inspected before leaving tblood has an abnoraml appearance, it is not used. This visual quality check is subject to human judgtraining and experience. Unfortunately, bacterial contamination of blood is not something that can ehas been shown, however, that there is a color change in blood as bacteria grow. This is due to hemoand reduced oxygen content. The overall objective of this project is to develop a non-invasive, low-optically identifiable phenomenon to detect baacterial contamination in banked blood. The system neeaccurate, and nonsubjective. Phase I will establish feasibility of this medthod and quanitfy spectracontamination. Phase II will focus on the advanced development of a low cost, real time device thatestablished in Phase I, and is compatible with existing blood banking procedures.