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How is cord blood processed before storage?

The three main components of cord blood, like any blood collection, can be separated by weight:  the heaviest layer is the red blood cells (RBC), the lightest is the plasma (a clear white liquid), and in the middle is a pinkish layer called the "buffy coat" which contains the white blood cells (WBC), including stem cells.  When banks process the cord blood, the final separated component that goes into storage is the buffy coat, even though only about 1% of the cells are actually stem cells.  There is no procedure to separate out the stem cells alone.

The vast majority of blood processing methods rely on the different density of the three main blood components.  They can be separated by sedimentation, or by centrifuge, or by a combination of the two techniques.  The procedure can be performed manually by trained technicians or by automated machine.