Are the cord blood stem cells stable during transport to the laboratory?
Yes, the cord blood unit is packaged in an insulated transport kit, with temperature stabilisers and a time/temperature data logger. The blood cools at a defined rate, from body temperature to room temperature within the transport kit, over 24 to 36 hours. The cord blood unit should be at room temperature when it is processed in the laboratory. Our couriers pick up the cord blood unit, often several hours after birth, to coincide with interstate flight schedules. In this time, the cord blood unit has slowly cooled itself from body temperature towards room temperature. The blood does not need to be rushed to the laboratory as the international FACT1 guideline states that cord blood should be processed within 48 hours of collection. Biocell aims to have the processing completed within 36 hours. The Sydney processing laboratory operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
