PLASMA OR SERUM PRODUCTION AND REMOVAL OF FLUIDS UNDER REDUCED PRESSURE
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In some embodiments, the present invention generally relates to the separation of blood within a device to form plasma or serum. In some embodiments, the present invention generally relates to the removal of fluids, such as blood, contained within a device. In one aspect, the present invention is generally directed to systems and methods for receiving blood from a subject and processing the blood to form plasma or serum. For example, a device may be applied to the skin of a subject to receive blood from the subject and pass the blood through a separation membrane, which separates the blood into plasma and a portion concentrated in blood cells. As another example, blood or plasma may be allowed to clot within the device and serum (the unclotted portion of the blood) may be withdrawn from the device. The device may contain, in some cases, a vacuum source such as a pre-packaged vacuum to facilitate receiving of blood and/or passage of the blood through the separation membrane to produce plasma or serum. In certain embodiments, plasma, serum, or other fluids may be removed from the device by inserting a needle into a portion of the device that has reduced pressure, expelling gas into the device through the needle, then receiving plasma, serum, or other fluids through the needle.
18 Citations
205 Claims
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1-177. -177. (canceled)
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178. A device for receiving bodily fluid from a subject, the device comprising:
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an inlet for introduction of a bodily fluid from the subject into the device; a storage chamber; a first membrane that is substantially impermeable to cells, wherein the first membrane separates the inlet from the storage chamber; a second membrane that is gas permeable but is substantially liquid impermeable; a vacuum chamber having a pressure less than ambient pressure; and a seal that can be manipulated to control a fluid communication pathway between the vacuum chamber and the storage chamber. - View Dependent Claims (179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204)
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205. A device for receiving bodily fluid from a subject, the device comprising:
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an inlet for introduction of a bodily fluid from the subject into the device; a storage chamber; a first membrane that is substantially impermeable to cells, wherein the first membrane separates the inlet from the storage chamber; a vacuum chamber having a pressure less than ambient pressure; and a second membrane that is gas permeable but is substantially liquid impermeable, wherein the second membrane separates the storage chamber from the vacuum chamber.
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Specification