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| The umbilical
cord blood program was established in 1996 to meet the needs
of a growing population of cancer patients who are candidates
for stem cell transplantation. |
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Cord
blood is an alternative source of stem cells used
for re-population of the patient’s bone marrow after
chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Research has led to
the discovery that the blood in a baby's umbilical cord
is rich in stem cells. These cord blood stem cells can
be collected immediately after the baby's birth, processed
and stored for use by the baby, a matched sibling, or
an HLA-matched unrelated patient. This placental blood
is usually discarded as waste. |
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Stem
cells are primarily found in bone marrow, where they
produce healthy blood cells. Stem cells are also found in
circulating blood, and in even higher concentration in umbilical
cords. After extensive processing, these cells can be frozen
for future use by the baby or a matched sibling, particularly
if there is a family history of serious diseases. The cells
also can be donated to help others.
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| Experience
and Excellence:
Stem cell samples are tested and processed in a state-of-the-art
laboratory following rigorous quality assurance procedures
and under the guidance of an experienced cryobiologist.
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Our
highly trained laboratory personnel use a sophisticated multi-coding
system to assure the integrity of each sample during all phases
of processing, storage and delivery. |
Insuring
a Healthy Future:
Harvesting cord blood is safe for both you and your baby. The
procedure takes less than five minutes. Open 24 hours a day,
Community Blood Services will dispatch a technician or special
courier to transport the cord blood to CBS for processing.
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| Harvesting
the Cord Blood: |
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Technique
#1
(In-utero) After the baby is born and the umbilical cord
is detached, a needle is inserted into the cord’s
vein and the placenta blood is drawn. Your physician,
midwife or nurse collects the cord blood in a small, sterile
pouch that contains an anticoagulant to prevent clotting.
The pouch is sealed in a specially designed container
and delivered to Community Blood Services for processing
and testing.
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Technique
#2
(Ex-utero) When the umbilical cord and placenta are detached
from the uterus, the medical staff places them into a
hanging collection system. The umbilical cord is extended
through the opening, and the umbilical cord blood is collected
in the same way described in technique #1.
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ADVANCED
TECHNOLOGY FOR MAXIMUM RESULTS:
Community Blood Services’ state-of the-art processing
technology guarantees maximum recovery and maximum quality of
the cord blood harvested.
Testing and processing of the cord blood
is performed no later than 48 hours after the harvesting.
Red blood cells are removed from the cord blood, and the remaining
white cells are concentrated and frozen. The frozen cells
are then stored in liquid nitrogen and placed in a storage
facility within the blood center.
The storage facility is equipped with a back-up
electrical power generator and battery back-up system. Temperatures
are supervised around-the-clock by blood center technicians
and monitored by an independent company.
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| Licenses
and Accreditations: |
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New
Jersey State Licensed - No.
3740
New York
State Licensed - ID:
SC076
AABB
Accredited��
American Society
of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI)
College of American
Pathologists (CAP)
CLIA
Certification (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment)
- ID: 31D0112691
FDA Registered
- FEI: 0002275064
**Community
Blood Services is an FDA-licensed facility** |
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