Apheresis is the process of removing whole blood from a patient or donor and separating the blood into its components (plasma, white blood cells, platelets, and red blood cells). This is typically accomplished using a centrifuge device that spins the whole blood so that it separates. Once separated, the desired component is then removed, and the rest of the whole blood is reinfused back into the patient or donor. The most commonly known apheresis procedure is plasma or platelet donation, where parts of the blood are collected from a healthy donor and used for patients requiring transfusions in the hospital.
