Who Invented the Blood Bank

An article by Peter Pierce    Comments Off

The history of blood back traces back to the First World War. JR Turner and Francis Peyton Rous, with the help of a glucose based compound, first introduced the concept of storing blood for many days. After some more research, Dr. Charles Richard Drew was the first person who studied in detail the transfusion and storing of blood. He opened many blood “depots” or “banks” in the early period of Second World War. However for the opening of the first blood bank according to many sources, an U.S. Army officer Oswald Hope Robertson is credited for the opening of the First World War.

With further developments in the medical facilities for storing of blood, large scale blood storing medical centers were opened by Soviet Union. In the United States of America, the first blood bank was opened by Bernard Fantus. It was considered a major development in blood transfusion as it was the first blood bank with hospital facilities. Later in the 1930’s after the RH blood system was discovered, J.F. Loutit and Patrick L. Mollison introduced the ACD( acid Citrate- dextrose) which further helped in blood transfusion. This in turn led to growth of blood banks and safer transfusion and donation of blood.