Centrifugal separation and collection of red blood cells and plasma

A controller-implemented blood separation method for a blood separation system comprising a fluid flow circuit mounted to a blood separation device including a centrifugal separator and a spinning membrane separator drive unit, the method comprising:

• controlling a pump system of the blood separation device to convey blood through the fluid flow circuit;
• controlling the centrifugal separator to separate red blood cells and plasma from at least a portion of the blood in the fluid flow circuit;
• controlling the pump system to collect at least a portion of the separated red blood cells;
• and
• controlling the pump system to collect at least a portion of the separated plasma, wherein the method further includes either
• controlling the pump system to convey said at least portion of the separated plasma directly from the centrifugal separator to a plasma collection container of the fluid flow circuit,
• controlling the pump system to convey said at least a portion of the separated plasma from the centrifugal separator through a spinning membrane separator of the fluid flow circuit associated to the spinning membrane separator drive unit to remove cellular blood components from said at least a portion of the separated plasma prior to collection of said at least a portion of the separated plasma, with at least a portion of the cellular blood components being retained within the spinning membrane separator, or
• controlling the pump system to convey said at least a portion of the separated plasma from the centrifugal separator through a spinning membrane separator of the fluid flow circuit associated to the spinning membrane separator drive unit to remove cellular blood components from said at least a portion of the separated plasma prior to collection of said at least a portion of the separated plasma, with at least a portion of the cellular blood components being conveyed to a recipient.