Apparatus and method for continuous centrifugal blood cell separation
First Claim
1. An analytical rotor for continuously separating fluid from a cell-containing liquid sample, said rotor comprising a rotor body having an axis of rotation, a sample chamber, a separation chamber, a cell retention region located generally at the radially outward periphery of the separation chamber, a flow restrictive channel connecting the sample chamber to the separation chamber, and means annularly offset from the flow restrictive channel and radially inward from the cell retention region for collecting cell-free fluid from the separation chamber, whereby spinning the rotor causes liquid sample in the sample chamber to flow into the separation chamber where cells in the sample move radially outward into the retention region and cell-free fluid flows annularly into the collecting means, wherein said flow restrictive channel and said collecting means are annularly separated by a distance sufficient to permit cells to separate from the fluid before the fluid reaches the collecting means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An analytical rotor for separating cellular components from a biological fluid includes a separation chamber spaced radially outward from a sample chamber. The sample chamber may be an open receptacle disposed to receive sample or may be a mixing chamber which receives sample and diluent. A flow restrictive channel connects the sample chamber to the separation chamber so that fluid enters the separation chamber at a controlled rate. The cellular components collect within a retention region located generally at the outer periphery of the collection chamber while cell-free fluid is continuously removed through a collection port. The collection port is spaced annularly apart from the flow channel so that there is sufficient residence time within the separation chamber for substantially complete separation of the cells from the fluid fraction. In a first embodiment, a collection chamber is attached through the collection port through an annular flow channel, while in a second embodiment a collection chamber is connected through a vertical flow channel.
183 Citations
44 Claims
- 1. An analytical rotor for continuously separating fluid from a cell-containing liquid sample, said rotor comprising a rotor body having an axis of rotation, a sample chamber, a separation chamber, a cell retention region located generally at the radially outward periphery of the separation chamber, a flow restrictive channel connecting the sample chamber to the separation chamber, and means annularly offset from the flow restrictive channel and radially inward from the cell retention region for collecting cell-free fluid from the separation chamber, whereby spinning the rotor causes liquid sample in the sample chamber to flow into the separation chamber where cells in the sample move radially outward into the retention region and cell-free fluid flows annularly into the collecting means, wherein said flow restrictive channel and said collecting means are annularly separated by a distance sufficient to permit cells to separate from the fluid before the fluid reaches the collecting means.
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14. An analytical blood separator comprising:
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a rotor having top and bottom surfaces and a central axis; a sample receptacle open to the top surface of the rotor and having an outlet port at a location therein which is furthest from the central axis; an annularly-shaped separation chamber located radially outward from the sample receptacle and having an inner peripheral wall, an outer peripheral wall, a first annular extremity, a second annular extremity, and an inlet port located near the first annular extremity; a flow restrictive channel connecting the outlet port of the sample receptacle to the inlet port of the separation chamber; and means near the inner peripheral wall and second annular extremity within the separation chamber for collecting blood plasma. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An analytical blood separator comprising:
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a rotor having top and bottom surfaces and a central axis; a sample receptacle open to the top surface of the rotor and having an outlet port at a location therein which is furthest from the central axis; a diluent chamber having an outlet port at a location therein which is furthest from the central axis; a mixing chamber located radially outward from both the sample receptacle and the diluent chamber and connected thereto through said respective outlet ports; a separation chamber located radially outward from the mixing chamber; a flow restrictive channel connecting the mixing chamber to the separation chamber; and means within the separation chamber and annularly offset from the flow restrictive channel for collecting cell-free fluid. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for separating cells from a biological fluid, said method comprising:
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introducing the fluid into a receptacle region within a rotor; spinning the rotor to effect radially outward flow of the fluid from the receptacle region through a flow restrictive passage into a separation chamber, whereby cells collect in a retention region at the radially outward periphery of the separation chamber; and continuously removing the resulting cell-free fluid through a port which is disposed at a position located radially inward from the retention region and annularly displaced from the flow restrictive passage. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for mixing and separating plasma from a whole blood sample, said method comprising:
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introducing the blood sample to a receptacle region within a rotor; spinning the rotor to effect radially outward flow of the sample and a diluent into a mixing chamber; agitating the sample and diluent within the mixing chamber to form a mixture; spinning the rotor to effect radially outward flow of the mixture from the mixing chamber through a flow restrictive passage into a separation chamber, whereby blood cells collect in a retention region at the radially outward periphery of the separation chamber; and continuously removing the resulting cell-free plasma through a port which is disposed at a portion located radially inward from the retention region and annularly displaced from the flow restrictive passage. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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36. An analytical rotor for mixing and separating fluid from a cell-containing liquid, said rotor comprising:
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a rotor having top and bottom surfaces and a central axis; a sample receptacle open to the top surface of the rotor and having an outlet port at a location therein which is furthest from the central axis; a diluent chamber having an outlet port at a location therein which is furthest from the cental axis; a mixing chamber located radially outward from both the sample receptacle and the diluent chamber and connected thereto through said respective outlet ports, wherein the mixing chamber is disposed annularly within the rotor and includes a cell retention region at its outer periphery; and means connected to the mixing chamber for draining said mixing chamber for draining said mixing chamber at a rate selected to provide sufficient residence time for the cells to separate from the combined sample and diluent prior to draining. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for mixing and separating fluid from a cell-containing liquid, said method comprising:
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introducing a cell-containing liquid sample to a receptacle region within a rotor; spinning the rotor to effect radially outward flow of the sample and a diluent into a mixing chamber; agitating the sample and diluent within the mixing chamber to form a mixture; and spinning the rotor to cause radially outward flow of the cells into a retention region while the remaining fluid flows from the chamber through a flow restrictive passage which allows sufficient fluid residence time within the chamber to achieve a desired separation. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification