Commonly known as a "cell saver", the intraoperative cell salvage machine suctions, washes, and filters blood so it can be given back to the patient's body instead of being thrown away. One advantage to this is the patient receives his/her own blood instead of donor blood, so there is no risk of contracting outside diseases. Because the blood is recirculated, there is no limit to the amount of blood that can be given back to the patient. The cell saver is also a viable alternative for patients with religious objections to receiving blood transfusions.