Plateletpheresis...

Here's a shot from one of my visits to the Blood Bank in Singapore. I was donating platelets.

The extraction of platelets from a donor's blood is known as plateletpheresis, while plasmapheresis refers to the extraction of a donor's plasma.

One can make an apheresis donation every month, up to 12 times a year.

With regular apheresis donations, you can help ensure a stable supply of blood products for patients when they need it.

Additionally, apheresis allows a much larger number of platelets to be collected from a single donor than is possible through whole blood donations. Platelets collected through apheresis are also more effective in stopping bleeding and minimize a patient's exposure to multiple donors' blood.

During apheresis, machines called blood cell separators are used to draw blood from you. After the plasma, platelets or red cells in the blood have been extracted, the remaining blood will be returned to you. You might feel a slight tingling sensation or get a little cold during the procedure.

Platelet donation takes about 60 to 90 minutes.

If you are interested in donating blood in Singapore. You can get more information here. Health Sciences Authority