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"Together with breastfeeding, it is one of the biggest gifts I could give to my children."
Sylvana Brannon, mother and
representative for Smart Cells (Malta)
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What tests are performed on maternal blood?
We ask the mothers to have blood tests before and after she gives birth. The blood tests are HTLV1, HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.
Do you ever reject samples on the basis of maternal tests?
If the mother has any infectious diseases, we will not accept the sample.
Do you test the cord blood sample for infectious disease markers?
The Laboratory does not do this testing. Mothers are responsible for having their own blood tests.
What other contamination tests are performed on the cord blood sample?
Microbiology
Do you ever reject samples that are contaminated?
It would depend on the type on contamination. If the sample has germs or bacteria that can be treated in the Lab, it will be.
Will you notify us of the test results?
We do not notify parents' routinely, unless there is something wrong. However, reports are available upon request.
Do you routinely HLA type the sample?
We can HLA type your baby's blood for an additional cost of £150.
By which organizations is your Laboratory accredited?
- MHRA
- UK department of Health
- ISO 9001:2000
Is the laboratory accredited? And by who?
- BioVault are registered for accreditation by the MHRA
- BSEN SO9001:2000 management system.
Who carries out the quoted inspections of the laboratory?
Independent and recognised accrediting bodies carry out the inspections.
How long does it take from collection to being frozen?
The laboratory will process the sample as soon as they get it. The faster the sample arrives to the lab, the faster it goes into storage.
Is the sample frozen in liquid or vapour nitrogen?
Vapour
What temperature is the sample frozen at?
Between -180° Celsius and -196° Celsius
What type of freezer do you have?
BioVault store the sample in a high efficiency, registered "Medical Device", Cryo-freezer supplied by the worlds leading manufacturer of such devices - Chart Bio-Medical.
How are the cells stored, by deep freezing, and is this procedure already well established?
The cells are stored by slowly cooling them to the temperature of liquid nitrogen which is -196 degrees Celsius. Chemicals are added to prevent damage to the cells during the freezing process. Once frozen the cells are completely stable and can be kept in this state for many years. The technology used is very well established in the field of IVF.
How are the stem cells separated from the cord blood, and what percentage are they. How many stem cells can be collected from the blood sample?
This largely depends on the volume of blood collected but a range of 50,000 to 200 million stem cells can be obtained, representing about 0.1-3.0% of the total number of cells. The cells are obtained by standard centrifugation techniques which allow the unwanted cells to be largely removed and the stem cells to be concentrated.
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