Method for the Preservation of Red Blood Cells by Lyophilization Using Glycerol or Inositol with Disaccharides.

The invention is directed to a composition comprising a permeabilizing agent, a preserving agent, and a buffered solvent. This composition is used to prepare the cells for lyophilization cells and to rehydrate the cells to recover them from lyophilization. The process of this invention comprises adding the permeabilizing agent and the preserving agent in a buffered solution to red blood cells, agitating the combination for a period of time sufficient to allow permeation of the preserving agent into the cell, shell freezing the mixture, and lyophilizing the mixture. The dry lyophilized material can then be stored. The cells can be rehydrated using the same composition of permeability agent, preserving agent and buffered solvent.
Supersedes PAT-APPL-659 765-91, AD-D015 031.