Abstract: A centrifuge having an automatic dispensing rotor is employed for pelleting material and automatically decanting supernatant liquid by means of gravity drainage. The automatic decanting rotor employs a magnetically activated lock mechanism for locking swinging buckets in an elevated position while the rotor is at speed. When the rotor is brought to rest, the swinging buckets do not pivot to their rest position but are sustained in their elevated position by means of the magnetically activated lock. Liquids are automatically decanted from the swinging buckets when the rotor is brought to rest while the swinging buckets are sustained within their elevated position.

Abstract: A centrifuge apparatus including a rotor; a drive coupled to the rotor; an inner ring adapted to pivotally support an annular array of inner containers having open upper ends; an inner coupling coupled between the rotor and the inner ring so as to cause rotation thereof and resultant centrifugal force induced inward pivotal movement of the upper ends into the centrifuge positions; an outer ring adapted to pivotally support an annular array of outer containers having open upper ends and displaced outwardly from the inner array in a direction transverse to the rotational axis of the rotor means; an outer coupling coupled between the rotor and the outer ring so as to cause rotation thereof and resultant centrifugal force induced inward pivotal movement of the upper ends of the outer containers into centrifuge positions; and an inner orientation mechanism for preventing movement of the upper ends of the inner containers into their centrifuge positions.

Abstract: There is described a container for phase separation of at least two phases via centrifugation. Means are provided to prevent remixing, such means comprising porous mechanical means such as surfaces fixed in place and inclined at an angle to resist flow of the heavier phase upon removal of the lighter phase, such that remixing of the phases is prevented.

Abstract: A test tube handling assembly has an elongate member with an end for engaging a test tube and an end opposite thereto driven about an axis of the member for orbital movement with its axis. The member is a slender rod with a spherical bearing about a center part thereon between the ends thereof and along its axis. An arm extends from a support to carry the spherical bearing and permit limited motion of the rod relative to the support. A gripping means on the end for engaging the test tube holds the test tube and its contents during movement of the rod relative to the axis. A drive located on the support near the end opposite causes the test tube to swing about the center part. Contacting means with a seal for closing the open end of the test tube is part of an inflatable bladder which holds the open end of the test tube by fitting in the open end of the test tube. The drive has a motor for providing orbital motion.

Abstract: A method for plasmapheresis includes withdrawal of a quantity of blood from a blood donor to an annular primary container forming part of a closed flexible processing assembly positioned in a processing space provided in a centrifuge rotor and conformed to the processing assembly. During the withdrawal, the rotor is caused to perform an oscillating movement for agitating the blood whereupon the blood is centrifuged in the primary container to be separated into blood cells and plasma. While the centrifugation is going on, the primary container is compressed to expel the plasma fraction to a secondary container. Liquid diluent is then fed to the primary container to resuspend the blood cell fraction while agitation is again accomplished by oscillating the rotor, whereupon the blood cell fraction is returned to the blood donor.

Abstract: There are described a novel removable pipette tip and pipette therefor, which provide separation of substances of a liquid within the tip by centrifuging the tip. The tip comprises a liquid-confining cavity disposed about an axis of symmetry, a dispensing aperture, and separating structure spaced along the axis away from the dispensing aperture, for separating one of the liquid substances when the tip is spun about such axis. The pipette is rotatable and either the pipette or the analyzer includes a driver for spinning the pipette tip at high speed.

Abstract: A disk shaped cassette for centrifugal fluid separation, particularly blood separation, and a drive system for high speed rotation of the cassette. The cassette is driven at speeds which permit very rapid separation of the blood in times on the order of seven (7) to twenty (20) seconds by an automated control. The cassette is supported by a flexible support coupling and mounting system that permits the entire rotating mass to spin about the center of mass unique to the particular cassette as filled. The cassette typically includes a peripheral collection chamber which may be either annular, lobed or channel shaped. A cassette enabled to hold plural separation tubes is also shown. A gel can be placed in the cassette with a density between the fluid components to separated and after centrifuging maintains the component separation that centrifuging creates.

Abstract: A rotor assembly for processing liquids, especially whole blood samples, is disclosed. The assembly includes apparatus for separating non-liquid components of whole blood samples from liquid components, apparatus for diluting the separated liquid component with a diluent and apparatus for transferring the diluted sample to an external apparatus for analysis. The rotor assembly employs several movable capillary tubes to handle the sample and diluents. A method for using the rotor assembly to process liquids is also described.

Abstract: A rotor and disc assembly for use in a centrifugal fast analyzer. The assembly is designed to process multiple samples of whole blood followed by aliquoting of the resultant serum into precisely measured samples for subsequent chemical analysis. The assembly requires minimal operator involvement with no mechanical pipetting. The system comprises (1) a whole blood sample disc, (2) a serum sample disc, (3) a sample preparation rotor, and (4) an analytical rotor. The blood sample disc and serum sample disc are designed with a plurality of precision bore capillary tubes arranged in a spoked array. Samples of blood are loaded into the blood sample disc in capillary tubes filled by capillary action and centrifugally discharged into cavities of the sample preparation rotor where separation of serum and solids is accomplished.

Abstract: A screw plug self-taps itself into an open filler stem of a thin plastic cylindrical centrifuge tube to press an underside of the plug against the annular top surface of the stem after the solutions to be centrifuged have been placed in the tube to seal the tube. A support crown may support the stem during the screw plug insertion into the stem and supports an upper portion of the tube adjacent the stem when the tube is inserted in a centrifuge rotor. Auxiliary seals may also be provided to ensure sealing of the tube stem. An annular fractionating plug is screwable into the tapped aperture in the stem after centrifuging, to remove the centrifuged tube contents.

Abstract: A process for the pure preparation of particles, biological cell systems, colloids and the like, in which liquid density gradients are produced in a rotating centrifuge container (1), and in which the particles and the like are introduced into the centrifuge container (1), individual bands being produced in such a manner that the bands containing the heavier particles are more remote from the axis of rotation than are the bands containing the lighter particles. The density gradients are constructed by the introduction of fractions of different density (a-f) via a cannula (18) which extends into the centrifuge container (1) to just before a tip (19) of the latter, the lightest fraction (a) being introduced first and the heaviest fraction (f) being introduced last.

Abstract: A centrifuge chamber for cytodiagnostic investigation of epithelial cells contained in a sample, wherein a cell suspension investigated is placed in a first bore of a sample chamber containing a plurality of bores disposed parallel to one another and subjected to a centrifuging process. During a centrifuging process, the sample fluid is separated into a proximal fraction and a distal fraction, and the proximal fraction is then separated by the centrifuging process so that it is transferred via a flow connection provided between the first and second bores, into the second bore. In addition to automatic separation of the proximal and distal fractions during the centrifuging process, it is also possible to perform a staining procedure during the centrifuging process.

Abstract: A centrifuge cup insert having an outer container and an inner container disposed therein with a spacer means between the containers to afford a reservoir between the containers capable of holding a liquid, the reservoir communicating with the atmosphere; associated apparatus for weighing the cup insert and dispensing a metered amount of fluid into the reservoir; and a method of using the cup insert with or without the associated apparatus.

Abstract: A rotatable processing bowl assembly adapted for mounting in a centrifuge includes an umbilical tubing system formed of a plurality of individual flexible tubes each of which communicates with the processing bowl. Each tube has an exterior wall and includes a first portion extending adjacently from the bowl and a second portion which is spaced from the bowl. The exterior walls of the tubes are bonded together along their first portions so that the joined exterior walls collectively define the outer periphery of the tubing system along the first portions of the tubes. Preferably, the tubes are also wound to form a predetermined helical pattern along their first portions. This arrangement enhances the tubing system's durability and resistance to fatigue along the bonded together first portions, particularly at higher rotational speeds, and permits direct, facile connection of the free and unattached second portions with external apparatus.

Abstract: A rotor unit for a centrifugal analyzer comprises a rotatably driven circular rotor base; and a rotor head comprising a plurality of insert elements each having at least one chamber sample for the reception of a sample liquid, at least one measuring chamber radially outwardly from the associated sample chamber for the measurement of characteristic parameters for the detection of components of the sample, at least one liquid channel connecting the sample chamber with the measuring chamber and each insert element is releasably mounted on the rotor base at any one of a plurality of different selectable angular positions wherein the insert element is positionally stable when the rotor base is rotating.

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 blood bag is described which aids in maintaining the separation of blood components. This bag is constructed of a flexible plastic, has a conical top leading to an outlet line and internal septa to reduce swirling of the bag's contents during rotor deceleration. The bag is adapted to be placed in a split sleeve prior to placement in the swinging bucket of a centrifuge rotor. A collar is placed over the top of the bag to aid in reducing wrinkles in the bag.Methods are described for reducing contamination of separated blood components by reducing bag wrinkles, reducing swirling of the blood fractions during rotor deceleration, and reducing mixing during expression.

Abstract: A blood bag is described which aids in maintaining the separation of blood components. This bag is constructed of a flexible plastic, has a conical top leading to an outlet line and internal septa to reduce swirling of the bag's contents during rotor deceleration. The bag is adapted to be placed in a split sleeve prior to placement in the swinging bucket of a centrifuge rotor. A collar is placed over the top of the bag to aid in reducing wrinkles in the bag.Methods are described for reducing contamination of separated blood components by reducing bag wrinkles, reducing swirling of the blood fractions during rotor deceleration, and reducing mixing during expression.

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.