Patent ID: 8164073

Claim:
A method for inactivating pathogens in one or more of the following: donor blood, blood plasma and erythrocyte concentrates, comprising the following steps: (i) providing one or more of the following preparations: blood donations; preparations obtained from donor blood; and preparations obtained by machine apheresis, and (ii) irradiating the preparations with ultraviolet (UV) light at wavelengths of 200 nm to 320 nm, wherein the preparations are in flat, flexible UV-permeable irradiation bags, wherein the preparations consist of a multitude of units that can be handled individually and stored separately, the irradiation bags are filled to less than 30 vol % of the maximum filling volume of the irradiation bags, and the irradiation bags are agitated during the irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light, so that the contents of the irradiation bags are circulated and zones of variable layer thickness develop due to this movement, and due to said movement the zones have regions which regularly have layer thickness of temporarily less than 1 mm.