A wound closure system and methods utilizes a patient's own blood. The system
preferably
includes a chamber with a needle and a plunger for transferring and storing blood
prior to surgery and the use of reversible anticoagulants. The chamber is pre-loaded
with a reversible anticoagulant to prevent the blood from clotting during storage.
When the surgery is complete, a counteracting agent is mixed with the withdrawn
blood to counteract the reversible anticoagulant and allow the blood to clot. The
clottable blood is then reintroduced into the patient to close a wound.