Pheresis apparatus

• US 4,464,167 A
• Filed: 08/01/1983
• Issued: 08/07/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Haemonetics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Haemonetics Corporation
• Inventors: Schoendorfer, Donald W., Hansen, Lee E.
• Primary Examiner(s): JENKINS, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US06/518,956
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 494/1, 494/10, 494/35, 494/36, 494/23, 494/27, 494/29, 494/37, 604/6, 604/4, 604/5, 604/29
• US Class Current: 604/6.07
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/0209 Multiple bag systems for separating or storing blood components
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/303 having a reservoir for treated blood to be returned
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3603 in the same direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3693 using separation based on different densities of components, e.g. centrifuging
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3696 with means for adding or withdrawing liquid substances during the centrifugation, e.g. continuous centrifugation
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 5/0442 with means for adding or withdrawing liquid substances during the centrifugation, e.g. continuous centrifugation

Abstract

This invention relates to an improvement in two-port centrifuge bowls in which component yield is enhanced by utilizing the centrifuge bowl for eluttriation, as well as centrifugation. In a particular embodiment, platelet yield is improved by terminating flow of anticoagulated whole blood from the donor to the bowl and pumping low density fluid, preferably plasma, back into the bowl at a relatively high rate to elutriate centrifugally separated cells in the bowl.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

(a) a centrifuge bowl;

(b) an enclosed fractionation volume within said bowl;

(c) an inlet and outlet port mounted on said bowl, the ports being in fluid communication with said fractionation volume;

(d) a phlebotomy needle coupled by a first conduit to a source of anticoagulant and to said inlet port;

(e) a source of anticoagulant;

(f) receptacle means outside said centrifuge and coupled by a second conduit to said outlet port for collecting a first fractionated whole blood component from said outlet port;

(g) blood pump means for first causing whole blood to flow through said phlebotomy needle and said first conduit into said inlet port at a predetermined rate;

(h) anticoagulant pump means for causing anti coagulant from said source of anticoagulant to mix with said whole blood in said first conduit; and

(i) surge pump means for causing a first fractionated component of anticoagulated whole blood to be recirculated to the inlet port of said centrifuge to elutriate the contents in the fractionation volume.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the fractionation volume is about 225 ml and the flow rate caused by said surge pump is about 200 ml per minute.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the blood pump means is initially deenergized just prior to the point in time when substantial quantity of a blood component being harvested has exited the outlet port and thereafter the surge pump means is energized to cause said first fractionated component to be recirculated.

4. The method of increasing component yield from donated whole blood in a centrifugation bowl having an inlet and an outlet port wherein:

(i) lower density plasma blood component is separated in the bowl from higher density blood component in the bowl and the lower density plasma blood component is displaced out the outlet port to a separate air/plasma container and collected until the buffy coat comprising platelets and white cells gets to a predetermined location; and

(ii) returning the lower density plasma blood to the bowl to elutriate the higher density components remaining in the bowl; and

(iii) displacing blood component with density between lower density component and higher density component out of the bowl through the outlet port to a platelet container.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the components remaining in the bowl after (iii) are reinfused.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the component is returned in (ii) at a higher flow rate than the rate at which whole blood was pumped into the bowl.