Method and apparatus for collecting blood plasma
AssigneeBaxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsDavid V. Bacehowski, Terrance J. Hebron
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Blood plasma is frozen in a sealed, flexible, collapsible container which defines an inlet at one end and a shoulder portion surrounding the inlet. The container tapers from the shoulder portion to a generally flat configuration at its end opposite the one end. After the freezing step, the shoulder portion is cut away from the container to define a cut end. Thereafter, the frozen plasma may be removed from the container in frozen form by squeezing the wall of the tapered container to expel the frozen plasma out of the cut end of the container.
Claims14
The method of freezing blood plasma in a sealed, flexible, collapsible container which defines an inlet at one end and a shoulder portion surrounding said inlet, said container tapering from said shoulder portion to a generally flat configuration at its end opposite said one end;
- cutting said shoulder portion away from the container after the plasma has frozen to define an open, cut end, and removing the frozen plasma from said container in frozen form by squeezing the wall of said tapered container to expel said frozen plasma out of the cut end of the container.
In the method of collecting blood in an interconnected, sealed, multiple blood bag system which comprises collecting donor blood into a donor bag, centrifuging said donor bag, and expressing separated blood plasma through a sealed conduit into a sealed, interconnected transfer bag, the improvement comprising, in combination:
- expressing said plasma through said sealed conduit into a sealed, flexible, collapsible transfer bag which defines an inlet at one end for receiving the blood plasma and a shoulder portion surrounding said inlet, said transfer bag tapering from said shoulder portion to a generally flat configuration at its end opposite to one end;
- freezing said plasma to solidified form in said transfer bag;
- cutting said shoulder portion away from the transfer bag after the plasma has frozen to define an open, cut end;
- and removing the frozen plasma from said transfer bag in frozen form.
In an interconnected, sealed, multiple bag blood collection system which comprises a donor bag connected with tubular blood collection means, and at least one transfer bag sealingly communicating with said donor bag by flexible tubular means, the improvement comprising, in combination:
- at least one of said transfer bags comprising a sealed, flexible, collapsible container which defines an inlet at one end and a shoulder portion surrounding said inlet, said container tapering from said shoulder portion to a generally flat configuration at its end opposite to said one end, whereby blood may be fractionated in said system and plasma frozen in said tapered transfer bag, and said frozen plasma may be easily removed from said tapered container after said shoulder portion has been cut away therefrom;
- valve means initially preventing fluid flow through the tubular means connecting the donor bag and the tapered transfer bag, said tapered transfer bag being in at least partially collapsed configuration to contain substantially less volume than its normal maximum volume while said valve means in its initial, closed position, whereby blood plasma may be drained into said tapered transfer bag without the need to displace air.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.