Method and apparatus for continuous plasmaphersis
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for the continuous separation of blood into a cellular component fraction and a plasma fraction comprising:
- (a) an ultrafiltration cell comprising a filter membrane having a pore size of from about 0.1 to about 1.0 microns in diameter, said membrane separating said cell into filtering and filtrate chambers, said filtering chamber comprising an inlet and an outlet, and said filtrate chamber comprising an inlet and an outlet;
(b) a blood input pumping means for pumping blood directly from a blood vessel to the inlet of said filtering chamber and delivering a flow of whole blood parallel to said filter membrane in depths of from about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm measured perpendicularly from the face of said membrane, and at rates sufficient to obtain a shear rate at the membrane interface of from about 10 dynes/cm2 to about 1000 dynes/cm2 ;
(c) a pumping means to direct a portion of said plasma fraction flowing from the outlet of said filtrate chamber in a flow from the inlet to the outlet of said filtrate chamber and parallel and in the same direction as the flow of whole blood passing through said filtering chamber.
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Abstract
A process and apparatus are provided for continuously separating blood into plasma and cellular component fractions and returning the latter to the subject in admixture with a makeup fluid. The separation is effected by continuously ultrafiltering the subject'"'"'s blood at specified shear stresses and pressures employing a membrane ultrafilter, preferably having a pore size of 0.45 microns, and a disclosed flow system.
260 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An apparatus for the continuous separation of blood into a cellular component fraction and a plasma fraction comprising:
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(a) an ultrafiltration cell comprising a filter membrane having a pore size of from about 0.1 to about 1.0 microns in diameter, said membrane separating said cell into filtering and filtrate chambers, said filtering chamber comprising an inlet and an outlet, and said filtrate chamber comprising an inlet and an outlet; (b) a blood input pumping means for pumping blood directly from a blood vessel to the inlet of said filtering chamber and delivering a flow of whole blood parallel to said filter membrane in depths of from about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm measured perpendicularly from the face of said membrane, and at rates sufficient to obtain a shear rate at the membrane interface of from about 10 dynes/cm2 to about 1000 dynes/cm2 ; (c) a pumping means to direct a portion of said plasma fraction flowing from the outlet of said filtrate chamber in a flow from the inlet to the outlet of said filtrate chamber and parallel and in the same direction as the flow of whole blood passing through said filtering chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for the continuous separation of blood into a cellular component fraction and a plasma fraction comprising:
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(a) an ultrafiltration cell comprising a filter membrane having a pore size of from about 0.1 to about 1.0 microns in diameter separating said cell into filtering and filtrate chambers, said filtering chamber having an inlet and an outlet and said filtrate chamber having an outlet; (b) blood input pumping means for pumping blood directly from a blood vessel to the inlet of said filtering chamber and delivering a flow of whole blood parallel to said filter membrane in depths of from about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm, measured perpendicularly from the face of said membrane; (c) recycle pumping means connected between the inlet and outlet of said filtering chamber for recycling a portion of said blood fraction from said outlet to said inlet the combined flow rates of said blood input pumping means and said recycle pumping means being sufficient to obtain a shear rate at the membrane interface of from about 100 dynes/cm2 to about 1000/dynes cm2 ; (d) plasma pumping means connected to the outlet of said filtrate chamber for removing said plasma fraction from said filtrate chamber; (e) replacement fluid pumping means connected to the inlet of said filtering chamber for delivering replacement fluid thereto at substantially the same volumetric rate at which said plasma fraction is being removed from said filtrate chamber via said plasma pumping means. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A continuous plasmapheresis process comprising:
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(a) continuously withdrawing whole blood from the blood vessel of a donor and pumping said whole blood into the filtering chamber of an ultrafiltration cell; (b) continuously filtering said whole blood into a cellular component fraction and a plasma fraction by passing it in a flow over and parallel to an ultrafilter membrane having a pore size of from about 0.1 to 1.0 microns in diameter, and at a flow rate sufficient to provide a shear stress at the membrane interface of from about 10 dynes/cm2 to about 1000 dynes/cm2 at transmembrane pressures of from about 50 mm of mercury to about 700 mm of mercury; (c) continuously admixing said cellular component fraction with an amount of replacement fluid substantially equal to said separated plasma fraction; and (d) continuously returning said cellular component fraction and replacement fluid mixture to a blood vessel of said donor. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification