Fresenius Kabi, a company based in Bad Homburg, Germany, announced that its Fenwal Amicus Red Blood Cell Exchange (RBCx) system won clearance from the FDA. The device can automatically remove patient’s blood cells and replace them with another fluid, particularly useful when treating sickle cell disease. The system can perform exchange, depletion/exchange, and depletion procedures, depending on each patient’s needs and for blood centers that stock up on platelet and plasma fluids.
The system has been approved in Europe for three years now, and as in the United States it is indicated for “therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), mononuclear cell (MNC) collection and platelet collection,” according to the company.
The Fenwal Amicus features integrated weight scales that measure and compare how much fluid is removed and how much is delivered to the patient. There’s also an optical sensor that monitors the red cell separation process, helping the system to make sure it’s doing the job correctly.
Product brochure (PDF): Fenwal Amicus Separator…
Via: Fresenius Kabi…