# US 10,117,987 B2 · Cell removal method, cell removal system, and white blood cell removal method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,117,987 B2 - Document ID: US10117987B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/809,313 - Filed: 2015-07-27 - Published: 2015-11-19 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2010-03-19 - Assignees: Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Shuichiro Inadome; Nobukazu Shimada; Tomohisa Yokomizo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10117987B2 ## CPC - A61M 1/3696: {with means for adding or withdrawing liquid substances during the centrifugation, e.g. continuous centrifugation} - A61M 1/0209: {Multiple bag systems for separating or storing blood components} - A61M 1/0218: {with filters} - A61M 1/34: Filtering material out of the blood by passing it through a membrane, i.e. hemofiltration or diafiltration - A61M 1/341: {by measuring the filtrate rate or volume} - A61M 1/3693: {using separation based on different densities of components, e.g. centrifuging} - B04B 5/0442: {with means for adding or withdrawing liquid substances during the centrifugation, e.g. continuous centrifugation} - A61M 2202/0439: White blood cells; Leucocytes - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - B04B: CENTRIFUGES (high-speed drum mills B02C19/11; domestic spin driers D06F; analysing, measuring or monitoring physical or chemical properties of samples during centrifuging, see the relevant subclasses for these procedures, e.g. G01N) ## Abstract In the removal of white blood cells from blood, the efficiency of white blood cell removal by a filter is improved. Centrifugal force is applied to blood placed in a blood bag by centrifugal separation to form a plurality of separation layers having a concentration gradient of white blood cells. The separation layers are passed through a filter in ascending order of white blood cell concentration to remove the white blood cells from the separation layers. The separation layers from which the white blood cells have been removed are received in a first blood component bag. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cell removal system that is mountable on a centrifugal separator and removes predetermined cells from a body fluid, comprising: a body fluid bag that receives a body fluid, the body fluid bag having a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the first end portion and the second end portion are provided at opposing ends of the body fluid bag; a first body fluid component bag that receives a first body fluid component having a relatively high cell concentration in the body fluid; a second body fluid component bag that receives a second body fluid component having a relatively low cell concentration in the body fluid; a first channel that connects the first body fluid component bag and the body fluid bag; a second channel that connects the second body fluid component bag and the body fluid bag; a filter that is provided in the first channel and removes predetermined cells from a body fluid component passing through the channel; a first on-off valve that opens and closes the first channel, and that is connected to the first channel at a position closer to the body fluid bag than the filter in the first channel; a second on-off valve that opens and closes the second channel; a preservation liquid supply circuit that is connected to the first channel at a position closer to the body fluid bag than the filter and the first on-off valve, and that supplies a preservation liquid for preserving the first body fluid component; and a blood collection channel configured to receive blood collected from a human body, the first channel and the second channel being connected to the first end portion of the body fluid bag, the first end portion configured to be mounted on the centrifugal separator on a side of a direction of a centrifugal force generated by the centrifugal separator, and wherein the blood collection channel is connected to the second end portion of the body fluid bag, and the second channel does not have any filter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cell removal system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined cells are pathogens. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cell removal system according to claim 1, wherein the body fluid is blood, the first body fluid component is a blood component containing red blood cells as a main component, the second body fluid component is a blood component containing plasma as a main component, and the predetermined cells are white blood cells. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method for removing white blood cells from blood using a cell removal system as recited in claim 1, the method comprising: separating blood in the body fluid bag into a plurality of separation layers; collecting at least one of the plurality of separation layers that contains a large amount of erythrocyte cells in the first body fluid component bag through the first channel by passing the at least one separation layer through the filter, wherein the at least one separation layer includes a layer having the highest white blood cell concentration; and collecting at least one of the plurality of separation layers that contains plasma as a main component in the second body fluid component bag through the second channel, wherein at least one of the (i) separating blood, (ii) the collecting at least one of the plurality of separation layers that contains a large amount of erythrocyte cells and (iii) the collecting at least one of the plurality of separation layers that contains plasma is performed by a centrifugal force from the centrifugal separator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method for removing white blood cells from blood using a cell removal system as recited in claim 1, the method comprising: separating blood in the body fluid bag into a plurality of separation layers; collecting at least one of the plurality of separation layers that contains a large amount of erythrocyte cells in the first body fluid component bag through the first channel by passing the at least one separation layer through the filter, wherein the at least one separation layer includes a layer having the highest white blood cell concentration; and collecting at least one of the plurality of separation layers that contains plasma as a main component in the second body fluid component bag through the second channel, wherein each of the (i) separating blood, (ii) the collecting at least one of the plurality of separation layers that contains a large amount of erythrocyte cells and (iii) the collecting at least one of the plurality of separation layers that contains plasma is performed by a centrifugal force from the centrifugal separator.