Blood separation method and blood separation filter

A blood separation filter that separates a predetermined blood component from blood, the blood separation filter comprising:

• a housing;
• a filter medium disposed in the housing and partitioning an interior of the housing into a blood inflow chamber and a blood outflow chamber in a thickness direction of the housing;
• an inflow port provided in the housing to allow blood to flow into the blood inflow chamber;
• and
• an outflow port provided in the housing to allow post-separation blood from which a blood component has been separated by the filter medium to flow out from the blood outflow chamber,
• wherein the inflow port is connectable with an inflow tube,
• wherein the housing includes an inlet-side retainer to which the inflow tube is detachably attached,
• wherein the inflow port comprises a first portion that connects to the inflow tube and that includes a flow path that extends in a thickness direction of the filter medium, and a second portion that is in communication with the blood inflow chamber and the first portion of the inflow port and that includes a flow path that extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the thickness direction of the filter medium,
• wherein, when the blood is introduced into the inflow port,
• the blood inflow chamber is positioned vertically below the filter medium and the blood outflow chamber is positioned vertically above the filter medium, and
• wherein, when the post-separation blood flows out of the blood outflow chamber, the outflow port is positioned vertically below the blood outflow chamber.

A blood separation filter that separates a predetermined blood component from blood, the blood separation filter comprising:

• a housing;
• a filter medium disposed in the housing and partitioning an interior of the housing into a blood inflow chamber and a blood outflow chamber in a thickness direction of the housing;
• an inflow port provided in the housing to allow blood to flow into the blood inflow chamber;
• and
• an outflow port provided in the housing to allow post-separation blood from which a blood component has been separated by the filter medium to flow out from the blood outflow chamber,
• wherein the inflow port is connectable with an inflow tube,
• wherein the housing includes an inlet-side retainer to which the inflow tube is detachably attached,
• wherein, when the blood is introduced into the inflow port, the blood inflow chamber is positioned vertically below the filter medium and the blood outflow chamber is positioned vertically above the filter medium,
• wherein, when the post-separation blood flows out of the blood outflow chamber, the outflow port is positioned vertically below the blood outflow chamber
• wherein the housing includes:
• a first outer surface on a side where the blood inflow chamber is located;
• and
• a second outer surface on a side where the blood outflow chamber is located,
• wherein the inlet-side retainer is provided at a center portion of the second outer surface, and the inlet-side retainer is configured such that at least a portion of the inflow tube is extendable on a center-of-gravity line (Lg) passing through center-of-gravity (G) of the blood separation filter in a state where the housing is arranged with the inflow tube being mounted to the inlet-side retainer,
• wherein the outflow port is connected with an outflow tube,
• wherein an outlet-side retainer to and from which the outflow tube is attachable and detachable is provided at a center portion of the first outer surface, and the outlet-side retainer is configured such that at least a portion of the outflow tube is extendable on the center-of-gravity line (Lg) in a state where the outflow tube is mounted to the outlet-side retainer, and
• wherein at least one of the inlet-side retainer and the outlet-side retainer is a clip portion having a retainer groove to and from which the inflow tube or the outflow tube is attachable and detachable.