Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Kit - 5 Features You Should Know

Parents who’ve enrolled for stem cell banking, wondering what’s the whole fuss about the umbilical cord blood collection kit? Let us tell you all about it.

A typical stem cell preservation process consists of 5 steps - enrolment, sample collection, transportation, processing, and preservation! You’ll need to enrol during pregnancy, following which sample collection step at the time of delivery kick-starts the whole preservation process. This is where the umbilical cord blood collection kit plays a crucial role in ensuring safe sample transfer.

The collection kit should adhere to optimal standards of cold chain and physical safety necessary to maintain cell integrity and quality of the sample during transit. LifeCell’s advanced cord blood collection kit proves to be a game-changer here. How, you ask? Let’s give you a low-down of its components and important features.

a) The stainless steel container that consists of:

• Cooling foam brick
• 2 maternal blood collection tubes (9 ml & 6 ml) 
• 1 Tourniquet   
• 1 vacutainer (vacuum blood collection tube) & needle
• 1 wrapping towel bag
• 1 Biohazard bag

 b) A vacuum-sealed aluminium bag containing the cord blood collection bag (approx 150 ml capacity)

 c) A purple card with a bar code sticker

That was about the components!

Now, here’s a sneak peek into the features of the collection kit.

The outer body of the umbilical cord blood collection kit is made of tough stainless steel. Its jostle-free design ensures that the sample stays in an intact position during transit. It offers maximum physical protection to the sample from external crashes and pressures.

To maintain the stem cell viability (healthy stem cells) in the sample during transit, the ideal temperature range for sample safety is 4 - 28⁰ C.¹ The collection kit's specially customised vacuum insulation ensures prolonged maintenance of the ideal temperature (4 - 28⁰ C) for up to 72 hours.

At 6120 cm³, the kit occupies 40% less volumetric dimension. Thus, making it smaller compared to the conventional thermocol collection kits.

The reusable stainless steel box is eco-friendly and minimises the environmental hazards compared to the ordinary thermocol kits.

The stainless steel body of the umbilical cord blood collection kit is water-resistant. It also provides sustained protection from external contaminants and unexpected climate changes occurring during transit.

Feeling enlightened already?

Then wait, here’s more. Let’s have a look into the entire collection process, step-wise!

You will receive the umbilical cord blood collection kit, when you are pregnant. As soon as you receive it, place the foam brick into the freezer. This frozen foam brick needs to be placed back into the collection kit and carried to the hospital on the day of delivery. The frozen foam brick helps in maintaining the temperature of the sample during transportation.

The maternal blood sample will be collected to check for any infectious diseases that can be transmitted to the baby. The sample is collected in the 2 collection tubes, with the aid of the vacutainer (vacuum blood collection tube), tourniquet & needle provided. These tubes are then placed in the collection container.

Following your baby’s delivery, after the cord is clamped, the blood is collected in the blood bag with the anticoagulant (a medical substance used to prevent blood clots). The bag is then placed in a fabric bag, followed by the biohazard ziplock bag. After appropriate labelling, this entire set up is then securely placed in the collection kit along with the cooling foam brick. The container is then sealed and placed in the secure outer carton.

Following your baby’s delivery, after the cord is clamped, the blood is collected in the blood bag with the anticoagulant (a medical substance used to prevent blood clots). The bag is then placed in a fabric bag, followed by the biohazard ziplock bag. After appropriate labelling, this entire set up is then securely placed in the collection kit along with the cooling foam brick. The container is then sealed and placed in the secure outer carton.

Now we hope you know everything you’ve always wanted to, about the umbilical cord blood collection kit and its role in your stem cell banking journey. Your baby’s precious cord blood stem cells can be collected only once - at the time of birth. This is why the sample’s safety during transit is imperative. At LifeCell, we understand that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity cannot be wasted. And this very thought goes behind our continuous efforts to upgrade our products and services and ensure customer satisfaction. Our advanced umbilical cord blood collection kit is one such step in that direction. Because, just like you, we too understand the importance of your baby’s future good health!