Cell fractionating method
AssigneeNorthwestern University
InventorsAnna F. Wu, Tai T. Wu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for fractionating red blood cells by velocity sedimentation to remove those cells approaching lysis while at the same time maintaining the transfusability of the remaining cells.
Claims12
A method of treating a population of red blood cells to remove those cells approaching lysis while maintaining the transfusability of the remaining cells, comprising the steps of exposing the entire red cell population to velocity sedimentation in a solution of isotonic saline buffered to a pH of about 7.4 and containing a soluble non-toxic carbolydrate cell-compatible density-adjusting agent in an amount sufficient to adjust the solution to a density within the range of about 1.005 to 1.015, collecting and separating the cells so exposed into at least two fractions based on differences in sedimentation rate, one of said fractions containing the slower sedimenting cells of said population, and retaining for transfusion that fraction that does not include said slower sedimenting cells.
A method of treating a population of red blood cells comprising both discocytes and echinocytes to remove the echinocytes without destroying the transfusability of the discocytes, comprising the steps of exposing the entire red cell population to velocity sedimentation in a solution of isotonic saline buffered to a pH of about 7.4 and containing in solution a cell-compatible disaccharide or polysaccharide in an amount sufficient to adjust the solution to a density within the range of about 1.005 to 1.015, collecting and separating the cells so exposed into at least two fractions based on differences in sedimentation rate, the red cells of one of said fractions consisting substantially entirely of echinocytes and the cells of another of said fractions consisting substantially entirely of discocytes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.