A device for aspirating and transferring blood during a surgical operation has a first chamber and a second chamber for collecting and transferring the aspirated blood, and an electronically controlled valve unit for connecting the chambers to a vacuum source. The valve unit establishes this connection alternately between the first chamber and the vacuum source and the second chamber and the vacuum source, such that the first or second chamber connected to the vacuum source can be filled with aspirated blood, and the other, second or first chamber can be emptied at the same time. The valve unit is connected to the first and second chamber and permits a pressure increase in the first or second chamber to be emptied. This device allows blood to be efficiently collected and transferred during operations in a way that is gentle on the blood.
