Dr. Darshan Shah

Absolutely. So let's take the story way back to just even the ancient Romans, you know, they were using a technology that they called bloodletting, right? Because they believed a lot of the bad stuff that causes some disease lives in the blood and bloodletting, removing some of this blood would minimize some of the symptoms of disease.

Absolutely. So let's take the story way back to just even the ancient Romans, you know, they were using a technology that they called bloodletting, right? Because they believed a lot of the bad stuff that causes some disease lives in the blood and bloodletting, removing some of this blood would minimize some of the symptoms of disease.

And as we all know, this didn't really work or pan out because there's other things in blood that you really, really need. Exactly.

And as we all know, this didn't really work or pan out because there's other things in blood that you really, really need. Exactly.

And as we all know, this didn't really work or pan out because there's other things in blood that you really, really need. Exactly.

Leeches are having a comeback.

Leeches are having a comeback.

Leeches are having a comeback.

It does. We use leeches a lot in surgery, actually. It's a venous congestion and things. So I'm very familiar with leeches. But we're not talking leeches.

It does. We use leeches a lot in surgery, actually. It's a venous congestion and things. So I'm very familiar with leeches. But we're not talking leeches.

It does. We use leeches a lot in surgery, actually. It's a venous congestion and things. So I'm very familiar with leeches. But we're not talking leeches.

So fast forward, apheresis was a technology that was developed to treat a disease called Waldenstrom's disease, where you have immune complexes that make the blood too thick, and that thickening of the blood causes blockages in your blood vessels, and people would die from this traditionally.

So fast forward, apheresis was a technology that was developed to treat a disease called Waldenstrom's disease, where you have immune complexes that make the blood too thick, and that thickening of the blood causes blockages in your blood vessels, and people would die from this traditionally.

So fast forward, apheresis was a technology that was developed to treat a disease called Waldenstrom's disease, where you have immune complexes that make the blood too thick, and that thickening of the blood causes blockages in your blood vessels, and people would die from this traditionally.

And then some very smart scientists in IBM, I think, figured out how to actually separate the plasma from the blood cells.

And then some very smart scientists in IBM, I think, figured out how to actually separate the plasma from the blood cells.

And then some very smart scientists in IBM, I think, figured out how to actually separate the plasma from the blood cells.

So plasma is the fluid portion of your blood. It's 45% of your blood. And if you've ever seen someone do PRP, which is take some blood in a test tube and they put in a centrifuge and they spin it down, the blood will separate to a white layer and the top of the test tube and a red layer in the bottom. The red layer is your red blood cells and the white layer is your plasma.

So plasma is the fluid portion of your blood. It's 45% of your blood. And if you've ever seen someone do PRP, which is take some blood in a test tube and they put in a centrifuge and they spin it down, the blood will separate to a white layer and the top of the test tube and a red layer in the bottom. The red layer is your red blood cells and the white layer is your plasma.

So plasma is the fluid portion of your blood. It's 45% of your blood. And if you've ever seen someone do PRP, which is take some blood in a test tube and they put in a centrifuge and they spin it down, the blood will separate to a white layer and the top of the test tube and a red layer in the bottom. The red layer is your red blood cells and the white layer is your plasma.