All blood donated in Finland passes through Härkälenkki 13 – without Linde, the operation of the Blood Service would be difficult

Linde’s QI Cryo services are essential to the efficient cooling operations for the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service center in Vantaa

Linde and the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service have been working together for over a decade, and this cooperation is of great social importance. Last summer, the Blood Service moved to new premises in Vantaa at Härkälenkki 13, where the operations and logistics have been tailored to the needs of the Blood Service. Linde accompanied the move to the new location by supplying the entire gas systems from design to installation.

The new cabinet freezer freezes 240 blood plasma bags at a time.

Among other things, the Härkälenkki 13 houses a 300-metre carbon dioxide pipeline and a gas distribution system supplied by Linde. In addition to the previously used plasma freezer, a new cabinet freezer for plasma freezing was installed during the move, allowing for more precise temperature regulation, control and additional safety for plasma freezing.

Blood has three components: plasma, red blood cells and platelets. After donation, the blood is tested and separated into red cells, plasma and platelets. The red cells and platelets are used in Finland and the plasma is exported frozen in cryo freezer trucks to countries such as the pharmaceutical industry in Central Europe.

Minna Matrone, who has been with Linde for 30 years, has been the project manager throughout the cooperation between Linde and Blood Service. "Blood Service is a very important customer for us. Our cooperation touches every Finn, so it's great to be involved and work on such an important issue. Through our long-term cooperation, we have tried to find suitable, flexible and safe solutions for the use of the Blood Service," says Matrone.

Minna Matrone has been cooperating with Blood Service for more than twenty years.

Plasma must be frozen within 24 hours of donation.

Plasma freezing is a sensitive operation

The liquid nitrogen supplied by Linde plays an important role in plasma processing. Once the plasma has been separated from the other blood components, the freezing process begins, in which the plasma must be frozen to at least –30 degrees Celsius. A conventional freezer cannot do this efficiently enough, but Linden freezers freeze plasma reliably and safely.

Like Minna, Timo Kangasmaa, who works as a technical specialist at Blood Service, has been with the same employer for three decades. "The plasma freezing process is a sensitive operation, as plasma must be frozen within 24 hours of donation. The freezing itself takes exactly one hour. The gas system and freezers supplied by Linde play a key role, because without them the plasma would not be frozen and the valuable plasma raw materials would be ruined," says Timo Kangasmaa.

Timo Kangasmaa explains the importance of the gas system for the Blood Service.

In 2022, 184 000 blood donors visited the Blood Service. The need for blood will not decrease, as blood is needed in Finland for various operations, some of which are very acute. For example, platelets are given to cancer patients, plasma to people with haemophilia and red blood cells to patients undergoing surgery and those giving birth. The donated blood's journey from donor to recipient is a process that requires seamless cooperation between blood donors, blood handlers and transporters.

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The Blood Service gas distribution system

Liquid nitrogen tank 20 m3
Liquid nitrogen pipeline 150 m
Plasma freezers
Gas phase boilers
Carbon dioxide pipeline 300 m
Automatic gas cylinder semi-exchange centre
Exposure points for four cellular incubators
Compressed air pipeline
Medical oxygen pipeline

QI Cryo - the Science of Cool

Linde’s QI Cryo service can provide complete cryogenic solutions for storing biological samples and materials, regardless of whether it’s for a hospital, research laboratory or biobank.