An eminent pioneer in the field was Charles Richard Drew, whose work on the banking of blood products and the logistics of collecting and distributing blood saved countless lives in the trenches of World War II and the wards of military and civilian hospitals. American researcher, Charles Richard Drew, pioneered the concept of a ‘blood bank. While researching for his doctorate in the medical field, he took up the job of a supervisor at the blood plasma division of the Blood Transfusion Association in New York City. There he found by separating the liquid red blood cells from the near solid plasma and freezing the two separately, blood could be preserved and reconstituted at a later date. He published his findings in an article called ‘Banked Blood’, where he referred to the process of collecting and storing blood as ‘banking’ it.
Drew’s method for storing of blood plasma revolutionised the medical profession by helping save countless lives all over the world.
The newest concept in blood banks is the storing of umbilical cord blood, which contains stem cells that can be used to cure diseases.
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