Method and apparatus for separating fluid components
First Claim
1. A disk assembly for use in centrifugation comprising first and second elements arranged for relative movement and made of materials having respective densities such that said first element floats above said second element in a fluid, and said second element assumes a predetermined position in said fluid, and a pin extending from said first element and carrying said second element.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A floating element for separating components of a physiological fluid comprises two parts that are relatively movable. The two parts define a prescribed volume between them when at their maximum separation, and one of the parts may be moved toward the other to express the fluid contained in the volume between the parts. The parts are made of materials having densities so that they assume a desired position in the fluid to allow selected components to be easily obtained are expressed.
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Citations
23 Claims
- 1. A disk assembly for use in centrifugation comprising first and second elements arranged for relative movement and made of materials having respective densities such that said first element floats above said second element in a fluid, and said second element assumes a predetermined position in said fluid, and a pin extending from said first element and carrying said second element.
- 2. An assembly for use in centrifugal separation of a fluid into components, comprising a barrel configured to contain said fluid and having an end portion through which fluid components can be expressed from said barrel, and upper and lower elements arranged in said barrel for movement in said fluid, said upper and lower elements being made of materials with respective densities such that said upper element floats above said lower element in said fluid after centrifugation with said lower element floating in a predetermined position in said fluid with respect to a desired component of said fluid, and wherein the configuration of the interior surface of said end portion of said barrel conforms to the configuration of an upper surface of said upper element, whereby a component of said fluid above said upper element may be expressed, and said upper element has a fluid channel to pass fluid from beneath said upper element whereby a component of said fluid between said upper and lower elements may be subsequently expressed with said upper component in contact with said end portion.
- 9. A method of separating components of a fluid by centrifugation comprising the steps of providing a syringe having a barrel with an end portion and upper and lower spaced floating elements in said barrel, said upper and lower elements having respective densities such that said upper element floats above said lower element in said fluid after centrifugation with said lower element in a predetermined position in said fluid, and the configuration of an interior surface of said end portion conforms to the configuration of an upper surface of said upper element, drawing said fluid into said syringe, placing said syringe and fluid in a centrifuge and subjecting them to centrifugation, and expressing a first separated component above said upper element from said syringe through said end portion, and subsequently expressing a second separated component between said upper and lower elements from said end portion.
Specification