ZipThaw® is an FDA-cleared and AABB-compliant medical device for thawing FFP and PF24. Recently, a study by the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, with the FreMon Scientific team led by Will Davey, VP of Product Management, compared ZipThaw to conventional water bath thawing of frozen red blood cells (fRBC).
Key findings
- Hemolysis: 1.39% with ZipThaw vs. 2.02% with water bath (p = 0.0016)
- Free hemoglobin (fHGB): 750 mg/dL with ZipThaw vs. 880 mg/dL (p = 0.0065)
- TWE free HGB: 1470 mg/dL with ZipThaw vs. 2040 mg/dL (p < 0.05)
Clinical Implications
- Reduced hemolysis ? ZipThaw preservation of RBC integrity and improved transfusion safety
- Waterless system ? ZipThaw has no risk of cross-contamination and reduces infection risk
- Operational reliability ? ZipThaw offers consistent performance in hospital and in the field
Conclusion
ZipThaw provides a validated, next-generation approach to fRBC and plasma thawing, ensuring greater operational efficiency and safer transfusions.