Abstract: A system and method for cleaning contaminants from shed blood to enable reinfusion of a cell concentrate in the patient employs successive rotary membrane filtering stages in which Taylor vortices are generated. Shed blood led into the first rotary membrane stage is filtered to produce a hematocrit in the range of 50-60 with some of the waste matter being removed. The intermediate cell concentrate is passed to the second filter stage where further waste matter is initially extracted. At any intermediate region, however, a major amount of wash solution is fed into the concentrate and effectively mixed therein. In the remaining length of the second filter stage, waste matter is entrained in the wash solution and both waste and wash solution are filtered out to provide a cell concentrate from which the great majority of contaminants have been removed.

Abstract: A system and method for cleaning contaminants from shed blood to enable reinfusion of a cell concentrate in the patient employs successive rotary membrane filtering stages in which Taylor vortices are generated. Shed blood led into the first rotary membrane stage is filtered to a hematocrit in the range of 50-60 with some of the waste matter being removed. The intermediate cell concentrate is passed to the second filter stage where further waste matter is initially extracted. At any intermediate region, however, a major amount of wash solution is fed into the concentrate and effectively mixed by the Taylor vortices. In the remaining length of the second filter stage waste matter is entrained in wash solution and both waste and wash solution are filtered out to provide a cell concentrate from which the great majority of contaminants have been removed.