Device and method for continuously fractionating blood to produce plasma
OwnerArdis R. Lavenderinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus, system and process for continuously fractionating blood in which blood from a donor is passed along a semipermeable membrane through which passes a fraction to be collected. Turbulent blood flow is maintained to prevent a filter cake from building up on the membrane surface and thereby prevent the blood fraction from passing therethrough. The system includes the blood fractionator, a collection apparatus, a blood pump and appropriate blood clot filters. The rapid blood fraction production rate and the small size of the device facilitates in situ collection of the blood fraction. Fractionation rates upwards of 30 volume percent of blood flow are possible.
Claims51
Apparatus for continuously fractionating blood comprising a housing having a blood inlet adapted to be connected to a blood source and a blood outlet in fluid communication with said blood inlet and a blood fraction outlet;
- a semipermeable membrane separating said blood fraction outlet from said blood inlet and outlet and permitting a blood fraction to pass therebetween, and means providing a plurality of high velocity jets of blood directed toward and along substantially one entire surface of said membrane to maintain said membrane sufficiently cake free for passage of blood fraction therethrough, passage of blood from said blood inlet along said membrane to said blood outlet continuously passing the blood fraction through said membrane and out of said blood fraction outlet.
Apparatus for continuously fractionating blood comprising a first member having a blood inlet and a blood outlet, a shallow cavity in one surface of said first member in fluid communication with said blood inlet, a blood inlet manifold in said one surface of said first member intermediate said blood inlet and said shallow cavity having the same dimension transverse to blood flow between said inlet and outlet as said shallow cavity and being substantially deeper than said shallow cavity, a blood outlet manifold in said one surface of said first member having substantially the same dimensions as said blood inlet manifold, a second member having a cavity in one surface thereof in at least partial registry with said shallow cavity in said first member and having a blood fraction outlet in fluid communication therewith, a semipermeable membrane separating said shallow cavity in said first member from said cavity in said second member and permitting a blood fraction to pass therebetween, and means providing high velocity blood jets directed toward and along one surface of said semipermeable membrane to maintain said membrane sufficiently cake free for passage of the blood fraction therethrough, passage of blood from said blood inlet through said inlet manifold along said membrane to said blood outlet continuously passing the blood fraction through said membrane into said cavity in said second member to said blood fraction outlet.
Apparatus for continuously fractionating blood comprising a first member having a blood inlet and a blood outlet, a shallow cavity having a depth not greater then about 20 mils in one surface of said first member in fluid communication with said blood inlet, a blood inlet manifold in said one surface of said first member intermediate said blood inlet and said shallow cavity having the same dimension transverse to blood flow between said inlet and outlet as said shallow cavity and being substantially deeper than said shallow cavity, a blood outlet manifold in said one surface of said first member having substantially the same dimensions as said blood inlet manifold, a second member having a cavity in one surface thereof in at least partial registry with said shallow cavity in said first member and having a blood fraction outlet in fluid communication therewith, a semipermeable membrane separating said shallow cavity in said first member from said cavity in said second member and permitting a blood fraction to pass therebetween, and an apertured plate intermediate said first member and said membrane such that blood flow between said blood inlet and said blood outlet through said apertured plate provides high velocity blood jets directed toward and along one surface of said membrane, blood flow along said membrane being turbulent and maintaining said membrane sufficiently cake free for passage of the blood fraction therethrough, passage of blood from said blood inlet through said inlet manifold and said plate along said membrane to said blood outlet continuously passing the blood fraction through said membrane into said cavity in said second member to said blood fraction outlet.
A system for continuously fractionating blood in situ comprising a housing having a blood inlet adapted to be connected to a blood vessel and a blood outlet adapted to be connected to a blood vessel and a blood fraction outlet adapted to be connected to a collecting means, a semipermeable membrane separating said blood fraction outlet from said blood inlet and outlet and permitting a blood fraction to pass therebetween, means including blood flow accelerating mechanism providing high velocity blood jets directed toward and along substantially one entire surface of said membrane to maintain said membrane sufficiently cake free for continuous passage of the blood fraction therethrough, passage of blood from said blood inlet to said blood outlet along said membrane continuously providing the blood fraction collected in said collecting means.
A process for continuously fractionating blood comprising providing a blood flow path defined partially by one surface of a semipermeable membrane having a pore size from about 0.1 to about 6 microns in diameter, providing high velocity blood jets directed toward and along substantially one surface of the membrane sufficient to maintain the one surface sufficiently cake free for continuous passage of a blood fraction therethrough, collecting the blood fraction passing through the one surface of the membrane, and recovering the remaining blood components unable to pass through the membrane.
A process for continuously fractionating blood in situ comprising continuously directing blood from a donor along a blood flow path at least partially defined by one surface of a semipermeable membrane having a pore size from about 0.1 to about 6 microns in diameter, providing high velocity blood jets directed toward and along substantially one entire surface of the membrane sufficient to maintain the one surface sufficiently cake free for continuous passage of a blood fraction therethrough, continuously collecting the blood fraction passing through the one surface of the membrane, and continuously directing the remaining blood components back to the donor.
A process for continuously fractionating blood in situ from a donor and returning a portion of the blood to the donor while extracting a blood fraction, comprising providing a blood flow path defined partially by one surface of a semipermeable membrane having a pore size from about 0.1 to about 6 microns in diameter, accelerating the blood to a velocity at least about 40 centimeters per second and directing the high velocity blood against the membrane for continuous passage of a blood fraction therethrough, collecting the blood fraction passing through the membrane, and recovering the remaining portion of the blood unable to pass through the membrane and returning same to the donor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.