STTR Phase I: A Completely Non-Toxic Blood Bag That Keeps Blood Healthier, Longer

这个小企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目是用完全无毒的血袋取代50多年前使用有毒血袋的技术，使血液更健康，更长寿。随着欧盟（EU）禁止在目前的聚氯乙烯（PVC）血袋中使用有毒增塑剂，以及对PVC产品的处置，这些PVC产品会释放有毒的氯基化学品，这些化学品会在水，空气和食物链中积聚，这是一个迫切的需求。这项技术取代了PVC和有毒的增塑剂，除了防止血液供应短缺。该解决方案有可能每年挽救数百万人的生命，同时通过更长时间地储存血液来避免浪费。该技术可以无缝集成到薄膜制造和血液储存基础设施中。新技术可以扩展到无毒透析袋，静脉注射（IV）袋，医疗管道和生物加工行业的应用。该技术在全球血袋行业的商业潜力预计到2033年将达到约8.45亿美元。该STTR第一阶段项目应用跨学科工具，包括纳米多孔宏观结构材料的化学，聚合物工程和血液生物学，以推进开发无毒复合袋所需的知识，同时考虑到作为血袋应用的物理化学和机械性能的严格要求。技术挑战是平衡血液储存容器和使用商业血袋机械制造的竞争需求，同时确保复合膜的足够活性表面，而在血液储存期间没有活性成分的任何浸出。这项技术的开发解决了储存全血超过28天同时保持健康的几个技术挑战。此外，解决了在蒸汽灭菌期间密封复合膜同时保持所需聚合物完整性的技术挑战。预计解决上述挑战的办法将实现第一阶段项目的主要目标，其目的是证明无毒复合血袋通过防止冷藏延长人全血的保存期限-该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识产权进行评估，被认为值得支持。优点和更广泛的影响审查标准。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to replace a 50+-year-old technology that uses toxic blood bags with a completely non-toxic blood bag that keeps blood healthier and longer. With the European Union (EU) banning the toxic plasticizer in the current polyvinyl chloride (PVC) blood bags and the disposal of PVC products releasing toxic, chlorine-based chemicals that build up in the water, air, and food chain, this is an urgent need. This technology replaces both PVC and the toxic plasticizer in addition to preventing a short supply of blood. The solution has the potential to save millions of lives yearly while avoiding waste by storing blood longer. The technology can seamlessly integrate into film manufacturing and blood storage infrastructure. The new technology can be expanded into non-toxic dialysis bags, intravenous (IV) bags, medical tubing, and bioprocessing industry applications. The technology's commercial potential in the global blood bag industry is expected to reach about $845 million by 2033. This STTR Phase I project applies interdisciplinary tools, encompassing the chemistry of nanoporous macrostructure materials, polymer engineering, and blood biology, to advance the knowledge required to develop non-toxic composite bags while taking into consideration stringent requirements of physicochemical and mechanical properties for application as a blood bag. The technical challenge is to balance the competing needs of a blood storage container and manufacture using commercial blood bag machinery while ensuring sufficient active surfaces of the composite films without any leaching of the active ingredient during blood storage. The technology development addresses several technical challenges for storing whole blood longer than 28 days while keeping it healthy. Additionally, technical challenges in sealing the composite films while maintaining the required polymer integrity during steam sterilization are addressed. Solutions to the above-mentioned challenges are anticipated to achieve the primary goal of the Phase I project, which is to demonstrate that the non-toxic composite blood bags extend the shelf life of human whole blood by protecting against cold storage-induced oxidative injury and spontaneous hemolysis of red blood cells.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.