Device for thawing frozen transfusion material and method therefore

A device to rapidly thaw frozen transfusion material such as blood, platelets or plasma or tissue or pharmaceutical products such as antibiotics or other thermolabile product to a liquid state for immediate use as in an operation and as needed comprising, in combination:

• a reservoir adapted to receive thawing fluid therein and isolated from the transfusion material by a membrane means,
• said membrane means interposed between the transfusion material and said reservoir to preclude contact with said thawing fluid,
• and pulsing means to deliver said thawing fluid against the transfusion material and through said membrane, said pulsing means and said thawing fluid collectively defining a massaging means against the transfusion material to promulgate rapid thawing of the transfusion material by circulating thawed fractions of the transfusion material about still frozen parts of the transfusion material for better heat transfer.

A method for rapidly thawing transfusion fluid from a frozen state to a transfusion temperature, the steps including:

• pulsing thermal fluid against a pouch containing the frozen transfusion fluid to raise the temperature of the transfusion fluid and circulate within the pouch the transfusion fluid as it thaws, and
• initially maintaining the thermal fluid at a temperature greater than the temperature of the frozen transfusion fluid but less than or equal to the transfusion temperature.