Our aim was to establish a new method for the separation of long-term storable blood components (red blood cells in additive solution and frozen plasma) from whole blood by a gravity sedimentation technique with hydroxyethyl starch. This investigation should offer a cheap and technically simple method of blood separation as an alternative to whole blood storage, valuable for autologous blood to extend the presurgical donation period. Although the separation of 8 whole blood units was successful, this method cannot be recommended for routine application. It is still too complicated, difficult to standardize and too time-consuming. Additionally, the cell contamination of the plasma is too high.