New AI strategies automate assessments of stored blood, remove human subjectivity

Each year, nearly 120 million units of donated blood flow from donor veins into storage bags at collection centers around the world. The fluid is packed, processed and reserved for later use. But once outside the body, stored red blood cells (RBCs) undergo continuous deterioration. By day 42 in most countries, the products are no longer usable. For years, labs have used expert microscopic examinations to assess the quality of stored blood.