Fluid processing centrifuge and apparatus thereof
First Claim
1. Apparatus for processing fluids in a centrifugal force field to separate constituent components of such fluids comprising in combination:
- (a) a centrifuge having a rotor adapted to rotate at a sufficient speed to cause said components to separate;
(b) a flexible bag adapted to contain a first fluid;
(c) a receiver container adapted to receive at least one component of said first fluid;
(d) mass means disposed nearer the center of rotation of the rotor than the flexible bag and adapted to move and contact a surface of said bag, said mass being sufficient to at least initiate a flow from said bag to said container of component fluid separated in said bag.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pressure plate blood processing centrifuge apparatus is described. A plate is disposed adjacent a flexible bag in which blood is being processed. Under the influence of centrifugal force the plate, which is disposed inwardly nearer the center of rotation than the bag, expels a separated blood component from the bag into a receiver container. The container may be located (1) radially inward or (2) radially outward from the bag or (3) adjacent and equidistant from the center of rotation.
In the embodiment in which the container is located radially outward from the bag, a valve is provided which is responsive to the specific density of separated components to stop the flow. In other embodiments, the mass of the plate is selected so as to expel only the desired component. A plurality of alternate embodiments are described which make the apparatus useful for a variety of apparatus, such as plasma pheresis, platelet pheresis and cell-washing.
169 Citations
39 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for processing fluids in a centrifugal force field to separate constituent components of such fluids comprising in combination:
-
(a) a centrifuge having a rotor adapted to rotate at a sufficient speed to cause said components to separate; (b) a flexible bag adapted to contain a first fluid; (c) a receiver container adapted to receive at least one component of said first fluid; (d) mass means disposed nearer the center of rotation of the rotor than the flexible bag and adapted to move and contact a surface of said bag, said mass being sufficient to at least initiate a flow from said bag to said container of component fluid separated in said bag. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. Apparatus for processing fluids in a centrifugal force field to separate constituent components of such fluids comprising in combination:
-
(a) a centrifuge having a rotor adapted to rotate at a sufficient speed to cause said components to separate; (b) a flexible bag adapted to contain a first fluid; (c) a receiver container adapted to receive at least one component of said first fluid; (d) mass means disposed nearer the center of rotation of the rotor than the flexible bag and adapted to move and contact a surface of said bag, said mass being sufficient to at least initiate a flow from said bag to said container of component fluid separated in said bag; and
clamp means to prevent fluid flow from said bag to said container until a predetermined level of fluid processing has been achieved by rotation of said rotor.
-
-
25. A method comprising:
-
(a) rotating a volume of whole blood contained in a first flexible bag in a centrifuge at a speed sufficient to separate said whole blood into at least a less dense and more dense component; (b) forcing the less dense component to flow from said bag to a container by applying centrifugal force to a moveable body of fixed weight in direct contact against a planar surface of said bag while said volume is being rotated; (c) preventing the flow in step (b) until substantial separation occurs in step (a) and; (d) causing said flow to stop when the less dense component has passed from the first bag to the second bag. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. In a process wherein blood is separated into a first blood component and second blood component in a blood processing chamber and first blood component is thereafter caused to flow through an outlet port of said chamber through a conduit and into a receiver container:
the improvement of causing said flow by a plate disposed adjacent said chamber, which plate is caused to move against said chamber under the influence of centrifugal force and thereby exert a force on said chamber sufficient to cause said flow. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
-
33. In a process wherein blood is separated into a first blood component and second blood component in a blood processing chamber and first blood component is thereafter caused to flow through an outlet port of said chamber through a conduit and into a receiver container:
the improvement of causing said flow by a plate disposed adjacent said chamber and wherein flow is stopped to the container with a valve means having a stopper with a specific gravity which allows it to float on the interface between first and second blood components within said chamber. - View Dependent Claims (34)
-
35. Apparatus for processing fluids in a centrifugal force field to separate constituent components of such fluids comprising in combination:
-
(a) a centrifuge having a rotor adapted to rotate at a sufficient speed to cause said components to separate; (b) a flexible bag adapted to contain whole blood; (c) a receiver container adapted to receive plasma component separated from said whole blood; (d) mass means disposed nearer the center of rotation of the rotor than the flexible bag and adapted to move and contact a surface of said bag, said mass being sufficient to at least initiate a flow from said bag to said container of component fluid separated in said bag; and (e) control means for stopping the flow to the receiver container when substantially all the plasma has left the flexible bag;
said control means comprising a valve controlled by the specific gravity of the plasma. - View Dependent Claims (36)
-
-
37. Apparatus for processing fluids in a centrifugal force field to separate constituent components of such fluids comprising in combination:
-
(a) a centrifuge having a rotor adapted to rotate at a sufficient speed to cause said components to separate; (b) a flexible bag adapted to contain a first fluid; (c) a receiver container adapted to receive at least one component of said first fluid; (d) mass means disposed nearer the center of rotation of the rotor than the flexible bag and adapted to move and exert a force against a surface of said bag, said force being sufficient to at least initiate a flow from said bag to said container of component fluid separated in said bag;
an(e) said flexible bag having a generally planar shape with a relatively short transverse internal width between planar walls of the bag, such bag being disposed within said centrifuge in a substantially arcuate vertical position such that the short internal width of the bag is positioned transverse to the axis of rotation of the centrifuge.
-
-
38. Apparatus for processing fluids in a centrifugal force field to separate constituent components of such fluids comprising in combination:
-
(a) a centrifuge having a rotor adapted to rotate at a sufficient speed to cause said components to separate; (b) a first flexible bag adapted to contain a first fluid; (c) a second flexible bag with an input port for receiving a fluid component separated in said second flexible bag at least one component of said first fluid; (d) a receiver container adapted to receive a fluid component separated in said second flexible bag; (e) mass means disposed nearer the center of rotation of the rotor than the first flexible bag and adapted to move and contact a surface of said bag, said mass being sufficient to at least initiate a flow from said bag to said container of component fluid separated in said first flexible bag; and (f) valve means for preventing flow after fluid component separation is achieved in said first second flexible bag. - View Dependent Claims (39)
-
Specification