Medical science of the early 20th century revolutionized the healing arts, but the unprecedented violence of the world wars still strained doctors’ and nurses’ ability to save lives. Charles R. Drew’s work in blood plasma preservation not only saved lives during World War II, but set precedents for blood collection, processing, and storage still used today.
Drew began his research in blood transfusions as an undergraduate and continued through his postgraduate work at Columbia University and subsequent medical training. In 1940, shortly after the outbreak of World War II, Drew administered Blood for Britain, a storage and preservation program for blood plasma distribution in the United Kingdom. This project was the prototype for bloodmobiles and the modern blood collection process.
In 1941, Drew was appointed the director of the first American Red Cross blood bank. However, Drew resigned from his post one year later in protest against the segregationist process of storing blood donated by African-Americans separately from blood donated by whites.
Drew held U.S. Patent No. 2,389,355. Learn more about Charles Drew: http://bit.ly/3qvmn1w #BlackHistoryMonth #InventingModernAmerica
U.S. Patent No. 2,389,355
Title: Surgical Needle
Patented: November 20, 1945