Apparatus for separating blood into components thereof

A centrifuge system for separating blood into a first blood component and a second blood component within a flexible blood processing bag and subsequently expelling first blood component from the flexible bag by employing a fluid-operated diaphragm to apply pressure to said blood processing bag, comprising, in combination:

• a. A centrifuge rotor having a contoured processing chamber formed between complementary support shoes contoured to support the flexible blood processing bag and fluid-operated diaphragm in a complementary relationship in which said second blood component is required to travel along a relatively short dimension of said flexible blood processing bag during centrifugal separation thereof;
• b. an elongated, thin-walled tubular rotor shaft extending downwardly from said centrifuge rotor;
• c. means for pivotally mounting said rotor shaft at its bottom;
• d. means for providing a clamped, resilient, restraining mount to a support member toward the top of said shaft, whereby said centrifuge rotor can rotate about its angular momentum vector;
• e. means for driving said rotor shaft;
• f. a reservoir containing displacement fluid located external to said centrifuge rotor;
• g. means for transmitting displacement fluid between said reservoir and said fluidoperated diaphragm in the processing chamber of said centrifuge rotor whereby separated first blood component can be expelled from the blood processing bag;
• and,
• h. means to receive separated first blood component expelled from said blood processing bag.

A method of centrifugally separating blood contained within a flexible blood processing bag into a first blood component and a second blood component, comprising:

• a. mounting said blood processing bag in a centrifuge rotor in a position so that said second blood component will be forced radially outward during centrifugal separation for a distance corresponding to a short internal bag dimension;
• b. rotating said centrifuge rotor at a speed sufficient to cause said second blood component to travel radially outwards along the short internal bag dimension thereby causing first blood component to collect near the radially inner surface of said bag;
• and,
• c. partially collapsing said blood-processing bag by applying pressure to an external surface thereof to thereby expel first blood component from said blood processing bag and into a receiver container within said centrifuge rotor.

A plasmapheresis process, comprising:

• a. positioning a blood-processing bag containing whole blood in a centrifuge rotor so that red blood cells will travel along a short internal dimension of said blood-processing bag during centrifugal separation;
• b. rotating said centrifuge rotor to centrifugally separate the whole blood into a plasma-rich component and a plasma-poor component within said blood-processing bag;
• and,
• c. partially collapsing said blood-processing bag by applying pressure to an external surface thereof to thereby expel plasma-rich component from said blood-processing bag and into a receiver container located within said centrifuge rotor as said rotor is rotating.

A plasmapheresis process, comprising:

• a. withdrawing whole blood from a donor;
• b. introducing withdrawn whole blood from said donor into a flexible blood processing bag;
• c. positioning said blood-processing bag in a processing chamber within a centrifuge rotor, said processing chamber being contoured to support said blood-processing bag in a position whereby centrifugal separation can occur along a short internal bag dimension as said rotor is rotated;
• d. rotating said centrifuge rotor to centrifugally separate whole blood contained within said blood-processing bag into a plasma-rich component and a plasma-poor component;
• e. expelling plasma-rich component from said blood-processing bag and into a rceiver container located within said centrifuge rotor as it rotates;
• f. braking said rotor to a stop and expelling plasma-poor component from said blood-processing bag;
• g. returning plasma-poor component to said donor;
• and,
• h. optionally, repeating steps (a)-(g).

Apparatus for centrifugally separating blood contained within a flexible blood processing bag into a first blood component and a second blood component, comprising:

• a. means for mounting said blood processing bag in a centrifuge rotor in a position so that the second blood component will be forced radially outward during centrifugal separation for a distance corresponding to a short internal bag dimension;
• b. means for rotating said centrifuge rotor at a speed sufficient to cause said second blood component to travel radially outwards along the short internal bag dimension thereby causing first blood component to collect near the radially inner surface of said bag;
• and,
• c. means for partially collapsing said blood processing bag by applying pressure to an external surface thereof to thereby expel first blood component from said blood processing bag and into a receiver container within said centrifuge rotor.