Abstract: A portable centrifuge apparatus for use with a centrifuge bowl having a seamless, unitary blow molded bowl body for the separation of blood into less dense and more dense components. A light weight, hand-held cabinet houses the centrifuge, and auxiliary equipment such as blood pumps, control instrumentation, and a sensor for measuring fluid pressure in a disposable chamber used for filtering blood.

Abstract: A method of separating blood plasma from particles including blood cells, in the blood, includes the steps:(a) providing a membrane with holes therethrough of a size to pass the particulate, and supplying blood to one side of the membrane,(b) moving the membrane at sufficiently high velocity that shear conditions created in the blood adjacent the membrane cause particles in the blood to move or remain away from the surface of the membrane and from the holes,(c) creating a pressure differential across the membrane sufficient to cause plasma to pass through the holes from said one side of the membrane to the opposite side thereof,(d) the holes being allowed to reduce in cross-sectional area as by protein collection on the membrane at the holes, or by expansion of the membrane material, and the holes maintained sufficiently open, by virtue of their original size, to continue to pass the plama therethrough.

Abstract: The present invention provides significant improvements in the design and performance of a specific type of Rotary Membrane Filter (RMF) apparatus which has the capability of separating particles from a fluid having the same and nearly the same density as the particles by utilizing shear to achieve separation, not centrifugal forces. A particular application for the apparatus is in the processing of fluid suspensions in which the suspensions contain fragile particles which are subject to damage due to excessive shear stresses. The prior art describes processing at constant shear rate, whereas the present invention provides the design and optimization of operation of such an apparatus at constant shear stress, which is maintained at a value below that at which significant damage to the fragile particles is encountered.

Abstract: A suction collection system particularly suitable for drawing fluids from a patient area and storing the fluids for later use or disposal, which is operable in any orientation of the device, thereby providing a field operable system which may be transported in battlefield conditions. The portable suction system consists of a cylindrical evacuating chamber with a top sealing cap. A suction port on the sealing cap is connected to the fluid collection bag, which consists of a laminar flexible plastic bag having an air permeable, liquid impermeable patch or portion through which air may pass for purposes of providing a vacuum suction, yet the collected fluids will remain in the bag. The suction power is provided by a vacuum pump which is electronically regulated by periodically energizing and de-energizing the pump to conserve power supply energy.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing biological fluids, such as blood, by centrifugal separation, is described in which no rotary seals are required for introduction of fluids to a centrifuge bowl. Instead, rotary motion from a drive motor is coupled by a coupling means to a driven member extending from an enclosed centrifuge bowl. The coupling means comprises a non-rotational member which translates, or orbits, about the bowl axis. A flexible boot, extending from the coupling means, seals the opening in the enclosure through which the driven member is driven.

Abstract: The present invention provides significant improvements in the design and performance of a specific type of Rotary Membrane Filter (RMF) apparatus which has the capability of separating particles from a fluid having the same and nearly the same density as the particles by utilizing shear to achieve separation, not centrifugal forces. A particular application for the apparatus is in the processing of fluid suspensions in which the suspensions contain fragile particles which are subject to damage due to excessive shear stresses. The prior art describes processing at constant shear rate, whereas the present invention provides the design and optimization of operation of such an apparatus at constant shear stress, which is maintained at a value below that at which significant damage to the fragile particles is encountered.

Abstract: A suction collection system particularly suitable for drawing fluids from a patient area and storing the fluids for later use or disposal, which is operable in any orientation of the device, thereby providing a field operable system which may be transported in battlefield conditions. The portable suction system consists of a cylindrical evacuating chamber with a top sealing cap. A suction port on the sealing cap is connected to the fluid collection bag, which consists of a laminar flexible plastic bag having an air permeable, liquid impermeable patch or portion through which air may pass for purposes of providing a vacuum suction, yet the collected fluids will remain in the bag. The suction power is provided by a vacuum pump which is electronically regulated by periodically energizing and de-energizing the pump to conserve power supply energy.

Abstract: A cell washing method and apparatus which utilizes centrifugation to separate blood components in a flexible bag. The less dense separated components e.g., supernatant, is expressed from the bag by centrifugal force acting on a plate adjacent the bag and the more dense component e.g., RBC's, remains. The bag is oriented at a double angle in the centrifuge so that less dense component accumulates at one location and more dense at a second location diagonally opposite the first location, thus facilitating removal of the less dense and washing of the more dense component.

Abstract: A sealable body of flexible material having a body 10 with frangible seams 20 in the body joined at an apex 22. A closure seam 24 transversely intersects the apex 22. The closure seam may be ruptured at the apex and the body torn along the frangible seams to separate it from its contents.

Abstract: A multipurpose blood processing bag is described for a system in which anticoagulant and whole blood are mixed outside of the prior art anticoagulated whole blood bag in order to minimize collection lesion. In this system, whole blood and anticoagulant from a multipurpose container are mixed at the phlebotomy needle and the anticoagulated whole blood passed to the anticoagulated whole blood bag. The anticoagulated whole blood may then be separated in a pheresis procedure into components such as plasma or platelets and the separated components stored in the (now empty) multipurpose container.

Abstract: A blood collecting bag is clamped along its peripheral edges between two shells. Inlet and outlet ports are formed in one side edge of the bag and are also clamped between the shells. The shells form a vacuum chamber around the bag with the bag serving as a sealing gasket and also house a liquid trap connected to the gas outlet from the bag. Pressure between the two shells is equalized through a vent hole formed through the bag. The bag comprises a membrane forming front and rear faces joined along peripheral edges. The disposable bag includes a laminated filter which lies flat between the front and rear faces of the bag when the bag is collapsed. The filter is sealed between the two faces of the bag along one edge thereof and is joined to the rear face of the bag along its opposite edge to define inlet and outlet chambers. Preferably, the shells are of clear plastic molded to conform to the shape of the expanded bag within the chamber.

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.

Abstract: A deformable support for a pressure plate blood processing centrifuge apparatus is described. A plate 50 is disposed adjacent a deformable support 10 having a recess for a flexible bag 8 in which blood is processed. Under the influence of centrifugal force the plate 50, which is disposed inwardly nearer the center of rotation than the bag 8, exerts a force against the support 10 and bag 8 and expels a separated blood component from the bag into a receiver container 6.The support 10 absorbs forces in the bag 8 thereby enabling the bag to be made of thin walled inexpensive material which would otherwise rupture under the separation forces. Yet the support 10 is sufficiently yielding to enable the pressure plate 50 to move and create an expelling force.

Abstract: A blood donation unit in which a phlebotomy needle is coupled on one conduit to a source of anticoagulant contained in a flexible bag and on another conduit to a flexible collection bag. The anticoagulant bag and collection bag are placed in a chamber within which a vacuum is created, preferably by a hand pump operated by the donor. A rigid plate is disposed between the two bags. The blood flow from the donor is maintained at an adaquate flow level by the donor's pumping which provides a pressure differential between the bags and the needle. The whole blood is mixed with anticoagulant immediately after passing through the phlebotomy needle. The ratio of whole blood to anticoagulant is independent of the volume of whole blood collected and is fixed by the ratio of the surface areas of opposing bag surfaces at the interface with the plate.

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.

Abstract: A timing and control mechanism for a centrifuge comprising a piston to which is attached a cam having cam surfaces which interact with flexible tubing to control the rate of flow through the tubing. The velocity of the piston in the centrifugal force field is determined by the resistance to flow of fluid which the piston displaces. The movement of the cam is therefore a measure of the speed and duration of the centrifugal force.

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.

Abstract: A two plane self-balancing centrifuge is disclosed herein in which the centrifuge rotor is driven by a shaft attached to bearings. The bearings are supported by upper and lower flexible bearing mounts. This results in two horizontally flexible bearing mounting planes to provide a greater degree of freedom for the axis of rotation of the rotor to move into a coincident relationship with the angular momentum vector of the rotor as it changes with dynamic imbalance thereby to compensate for any imbalance which may occur in the centrifuge rotor during processing. The centrifuge particularly suited for use in processing blood.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for centrifugally separating blood into one or more components, such as a plasma-rich component, and a plasma-poor component. This apparatus employs a centrifuge intended to be used immediately adjacent to a blood donor. A flexible displacement container having a displacer fluid operated diaphragm is positioned within a blood processing chamber of the centrifuge rotor. The blood processing chamber comprises a pair of contoured support shoes which structurally supports the displacement container and a flexible blood processing container. Separated first blood component is expressed from the flexible processing blood container by movement of the diaphragm and is collected in a receiver container as the centrifuge rotor spins.A reservoir for displacer fluid is mounted closer to the axis of rotation of the centrifuge than the flexible displacement container and in fluid communication therewith.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus are disclosed for sealing the outlet port of a flexible blood-processing bag after a separated first blood component has been expressed therefrom. The improvements relate to the use of a valve contained within the flexible blood-processing bag and responsive to the difference in specific gravities between first blood component and second blood component. For example, the valve may comprise a stopper ball having a specific gravity which allows it to float at the interface between first and second blood component.