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Platelets save lives by helping the body form clots and control bleeding. They matter in cardiac surgery, trauma care, cancer treatment, organ transplantation, and other high-risk settings, yet they remain one of the hardest blood products to keep reliably in stock.
Conventional platelets are stored at room temperature with a shelf life of five to seven days. Once collection, testing, and processing are factored in, hospitals and blood centers work with a narrow window to distribute and transfuse them. The result is a fragile supply chain marked by frequent shortages, costly expiration, and limited access for rural hospitals, smaller facilities, and austere environments.
The newly published results of the CHIlled Platelet Study, known as the CHIPS trial, point toward a different path.
Inside the CHIPS Trial Results
Published in JAMA, CHIPS was a phase 3, multicenter, randomized, partially blinded trial led by Philip C. Spinella, M.D., and colleagues. The study enrolled 1,000 pediatric and adult cardiac surgery patients at 27 hospitals across the United States and Australia between December 2021 and March 2025, with roughly one-third of participants under 18.
Patients needing a platelet transfusion received either conventional room-temperature platelets stored up to seven days or chilled platelets stored at 1°C to 6°C for as long as 21 days. The adaptive trial design tested progressively longer cold-storage periods as each duration met noninferiority standards.
Among the 989 patients in the primary analysis, 650 received cold-stored platelets and 339 received room-temperature platelets. Chilled platelets stored for up to 21 days proved noninferior to room-temperature platelets for controlling active bleeding, with a probability of noninferiority above 99.9% across every storage duration tested. Twenty-four-hour chest-tube output showed no statistical difference between groups, and rates of thrombotic events, transfusion-related complications, ARDS, kidney failure, septic shock, and mortality were comparable.
Researchers did note a higher rate of surgical reexploration in the chilled-platelet group, a finding that warrants further study. The trial's direct evidence applies to actively bleeding cardiac-surgery patients; broader clinical use will depend on additional evidence and regulatory clearance.
What a 21-Day Shelf Life Means for Blood Centers
Extending platelet storage from five to seven days to as long as 21 days nearly quadruples the usable window after processing. That shift could change how platelets are collected, allocated, transported, and stocked.
UPMC reports that the U.S. collects roughly 2.5 million room-temperature platelet units each year, with an estimated 10% to 20% expiring before use, representing close to $300 million in hospital waste. Vitalant reports that about 15% of hospitals experience at least one delayed platelet transfusion monthly due to shortages.
A longer refrigerated shelf life could help blood centers reduce units lost to expiration, build more resilient regional inventories, move platelets to where they're needed most, and make platelet stocking economically viable for rural and community hospitals. It could also strengthen readiness for trauma systems and emergency response.
The timing adds weight to these findings. In July 2026, the American Red Cross reported the national blood supply had fallen nearly 25% during June and declared an emergency shortage, followed later that month by only the second national blood-supply crisis in its history. Chilled platelets won't replace the need for donors, but getting more clinical value from every donated unit could make the system less vulnerable to collection swings and demand surges.
UPMC has said the CHIPS findings are under review by the FDA and international regulators. Implementation work remains ahead, but the trial provides pivotal evidence for a meaningful shift in platelet management.
MaxQ's Role in the CHIPS Trial
MaxQ is proud to have served as a small partner in the CHIPS trial. Our MaxOne temperature-controlled transport containers moved chilled platelets throughout the study.
Philip C. Spinella, M.D., the trial's lead investigator, said the CHIPS results comparing cold- to room-temperature-stored platelets could not have been completed without the custom-made, validated transport containers MaxQ developed, and that the containers exceeded regulatory requirements for maintaining temperature while performing without issue across the thousands of units shipped to trial centers.
Credit for this achievement belongs to Dr. Spinella, the CHIPS investigators, participating hospitals, research teams, blood suppliers, funding partners, donors, patients, and families whose collective effort made the trial possible. MaxQ is grateful its transport technology could support this work.
Building a More Resilient Platelet Supply
CHIPS marks a milestone in transfusion medicine. It shows that, for active bleeding in cardiac surgery, platelets do not need to stay confined to a shelf life measured in days. A 21-day refrigerated option could reduce avoidable waste, improve inventory stability, and bring lifesaving platelets closer to patients who currently face limited or delayed access.
The future of platelet availability still depends on generous donors, strong blood-center operations, sound regulation, and careful clinical implementation. CHIPS offers the field something it urgently needs: credible evidence that the platelet supply chain can become more resilient.
MaxQ congratulates Dr. Spinella and the entire CHIPS team on completing this extraordinary study.
References
This article summarizes published research and is provided for informational purposes. Clinical use of blood products should follow applicable regulatory requirements, institutional protocols, and medical judgment.
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