New Blood Truck, Made Here, Has Improved Devices

Harvard scientists played a large role in the development of a rolling blood bank demonstrated for the first time Wednesday.

The mobile unit, a 32-foot aluminum-sheathed truck carrying machines to separate and stockpile all the vital parts of human blood, was built here as part of a new national blood program sponsored by a group of government agencies.

Able to process the blood of 200 donors--200 pints--in a 12-hour day, the truck is the forerunner of a fleet which will bring blood collection units right up to the home.

New Fractions

The machinery inside the truck is able to separate out of the whole blood many fractions never before available. As the blood can be rushed right from the donor into the machines, the blood will preserve its utmost potency.

University Professor Edwin J. Cohn led a team of scientists in development of the new separation processes. Other Harvard scientists on the project were Edward S. Buckley, Jr., Maurice D'Hont, John G. Gibson, and Carl Walter.