Plasma Concentrator Device
First Claim
1. A method for concentrating plasma by removing water without significantly denaturing the fibrinogen in the plasma, comprising:
- positioning a plurality of concentrator gel beads in a concentrator chamber of the plasma concentrator;
positioning a sample volume of plasma in the concentrator chamber of the plasma concentrator;
moving an actuator stem having a lower agitator end to agitate the sample volume of plasma and the concentrator gel beads in the concentrator chamber with agitator blades extending outwardly from the lower agitator end being positioned in the concentrator chamber;
concentrating the plasma by removing at least a portion of water from the sample volume of plasma to the concentrator gel beads to form a concentrated plasma volume; and
removing the concentrated plasma volume through a filter in a lower opening of the concentrator chamber;
wherein the concentrator chamber includes a top with an upper opening through which an upper end of the actuator stem extends.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A plasma concentrator having a concentrator chamber, concentrator gel beads, a filter, and an agitator. The agitator end is positioned in the concentrator chamber and supported for rotation about its central axis and for reciprocal movement along its central axis. A filter is selected to block effective flow of plasma therethrough under ambient gravity conditions and permit plasma and plasma concentrate flow therethrough under centrifugal forces of the separation gravity. A method concentrates plasma by removing water without significantly denaturing the fibrinogen in the plasma. Then centrifugal force can be applied to the concentrated plasma in an amount sufficient to separate a substantial portion of the plasma concentrate from the beads.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for concentrating plasma by removing water without significantly denaturing the fibrinogen in the plasma, comprising:
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positioning a plurality of concentrator gel beads in a concentrator chamber of the plasma concentrator; positioning a sample volume of plasma in the concentrator chamber of the plasma concentrator; moving an actuator stem having a lower agitator end to agitate the sample volume of plasma and the concentrator gel beads in the concentrator chamber with agitator blades extending outwardly from the lower agitator end being positioned in the concentrator chamber; concentrating the plasma by removing at least a portion of water from the sample volume of plasma to the concentrator gel beads to form a concentrated plasma volume; and removing the concentrated plasma volume through a filter in a lower opening of the concentrator chamber; wherein the concentrator chamber includes a top with an upper opening through which an upper end of the actuator stem extends. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14)
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9. A method for concentrating plasma by removing water without significantly denaturing the fibrinogen in the plasma, comprising:
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a) introducing the plasma into a concentration chamber containing a plurality of dehydrated concentrator gel beads and an agitator; b) removing water from the plasma until the plasma has a protein concentration greater than 1.5 times the protein concentration of the untreated plasma while; i) moving the agitator to stir the beads while they are absorbing water from the plasma to reduce plasma polarization, and ii) moving the agitator to break up clumps of beads that form during the agitation; and c) applying centrifugal force to the concentrated plasma in an amount sufficient to separate a substantial portion of the plasma concentrate from the beads. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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15. A method for concentrating plasma by removing water without significantly denaturing the fibrinogen in the plasma, comprising:
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a) introducing the plasma into a concentration chamber containing a plurality of dehydrated concentrator gel beads and an agitator; b) removing water from the plasma until the plasma has a protein concentration greater than 1.5 times the protein concentration of the untreated plasma while; i) moving the agitator to stir the beads while they are absorbing water from the plasma to reduce plasma polarization, and ii) moving the agitator to break up clumps of beads that form during the agitation; and c) applying centrifugal force to the concentrated plasma in an amount sufficient to separate a substantial portion of the plasma concentrate from the beads. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification