LifeCell Corporation of The Woodlands, Texas (NASDAQ:LIFC)has received a $740,000 Small Business Innovative Research(SBIR) grant from the U.S. Army to extend storage life oftransfusable human platelets that are essential for bloodclotting.

Existing storage life for platelets is three to five days. Thecompany aims in the two-year study to refrigerate platelets upto 21 days without losing function, using its ThromboSolstabilizing solution. Cold temperatures normally degradesplatelet function.

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