Blood fractionation apparatus having collected volume display system

In an apparatus for collecting a fluid in a collection container, and having a predetermined range of collection rates, a collected volume display system comprising, in combination:

• weight responsive means including an electrical transducer in supporting relationship to the collection container providing an output signal indicative of the weight of the collection container and the collected fluid contained therein;
• comparison means for repetitively comparing said transducer output signal over a predetermined measurement interval with said output signal over a preceding measurement interval to develop difference signals indicative of changes in weight over successive measurement intervals;
• incrementing means responsive only to difference signals which correspond to collection rates within said predetermined range, for producing collection signals indicative of incremental units of fluid volume added to the collection container;
• and
• volume indicator means responsive to said collection signals for providing an output indicative of the cumulative count of said incremental units, and hence the volume of the fluid collected in the collection container.

In a fluid collection apparatus for collecting a fluid in a collection container, and of the type having a predetermined range of collection rates and utilizing a disposable flow system having a collection container for the collected component, a collected volume display system comprising, in combination:

• weight responsive means including an electrical transducer providing an output signal having a frequency related to the weight of the collection container and the collected fluid container therein;
• comparison means for repetitively comparing the frequency of said transducer output signal over a present measurement interval with the frequency of said output signal over a preceding like measurement interval to periodically develop difference signals indicative of any change in units of volume collected during the measurement interval;
• volume indicator means including a display counter responsive to applied collection signals for providing an output indicative of the sum of said incremental units;
• and
• incrementing means for applying only difference signals indicating the collection of fluid increments within said range of collection rates as collection signals to said counter whereby said indicator means indicate the volume of fluid collected in the collection container notwithstanding physical disturbances to the container.

In a fluid collection apparatus for collecting a fluid, and of the type having a predetermined range of collection rates and a disposable flow system having a collection container for the collected fluid, a collected volume display system comprising, in combination:

• weight responsive means including an electrical transducer supporting the collection container for providing an output signal having a frequency indicative of the weight of the collection chamber and the collected fluid contained therein;
• input counter means responsive to said weight-indicative signal for providing an output signal representative of the frequency of said collection pulses;
• means for periodically applying said weight-indicative signal to said input counter for a predetermined measurement interval to develop said output signal therein;
• storage means for storing said output signal subsequent to said measurement interval;
• comparison means for comparing said output signal with said stored output signal in said storage means to develop a difference signal indicative of incremental volume units of fluid collected during the measurement interval;
• volume indicator means including a counter responsive to applied collection signals for providing an output indicative of the cumulative count of said applied collection signals;
• and
• incrementing means for applying only said difference signals which correspond to a collection rate within the range of collection rates to said counter whereby said volume indicator means display collected volume notwithstanding external disturbances to the collection container.

In a blood fractionation apparatus for separating and collecting a blood fraction from whole blood, wherein the blood fraction has a predetermined range of collection rates, and of the type utilizing a disposable flow system having a collection container for the collected component, a blood component collection monitoring system comprising, in combination:

• weight responsive means including an electrical transducer in supporting relationship to the collection container for providing an output signal indicative of the weight of the collection container and the collected blood fraction contained therein;
• comparison means for repetitively comparing successive output signals to develop difference signals indicative of the changes in weight of the collection container over successive measurement intervals;
• and
• incrementing means responsive only to difference signals representing collection rates within the predetermined range of collection rates for producing collection signals indicative of incremental volume units of blood component added to the collection container.

In an apparatus for separating and collecting a blood fraction from whole blood, and of the type having a predetermined range of collection rates and utilizing a disposable flow system having a collection container for the collected component, a collected volume display system comprising, in combination:

• weight responsive means including an electrical transducer in supporting relationship to the collection container and providing an output signal indicative of the weight of the collection chamber and the collected blood fraction container therein;
• comparison means for repetitively comparing said transducer output signal over a predetermined measurement interval with said output signal over a preceding measurement interval to develop difference signals;
• incrementing means responsive only to difference signals which correspond to collection rates within said predetermined range of collection rates for producing collection signals indicative of incremental volume units of blood fraction added to the collection container;
• and
• volume indicator means responsive to said collection signals for providing an output indicative of the sum of said incremental units, and hence the volume of the blood fraction collected in the collection container.

In a blood fractionation apparatus for separating and collecting a blood fraction from whole blood, and of the type having a predetermined range of collection rates and utilizing a disposable flow system having a collection container for the collect component, a collected volume display system comprising, in combination:

• weight responsive means including an electrical transducer providing an output signal having a frequency related to the weight of the collection chamber and the collected blood fraction contained therein;
• comparison means for repetitively comparing the frequency of said transducer output signal over a present measurement interval with the frequency of said output signal over a preceding measurement interval to develop difference signals;
• volume indicator means including a display counter responsive to applied difference signals;
• and
• incrementing means for applying only difference signals indicating the collection of blood fraction increments within said range of collection rates to said display counter whereby said indicator means indicate the volume of the blood fraction collected in the collection container notwithstanding physical disturbances to the container.

In a blood fractionation apparatus for separating and collecting a blood fraction from whole blood, and of the type having a predetermined range of collection rates and utilizing a disposable flow system having a collection container for the collected component, a collected volume display system comprising, in combination:

• weight responsive means including an electrical transducer in supporting relationship to the collection container for providing an output signal having a frequency indicative of the weight of the collection container and the collected blood fraction contained therein;
• input counter means responsive to said weight indicative signal for providing a first output signal representative of the frequency of said weight signal;
• means for periodically applying said weight indicative signal to said input counter for a predetermined measurement interval to develop said output signal therein;
• storage means for storing said output signal subsequent to said measurement interval;
• comparison means for comparing said output signal with the stored signal in said storage means to develop a difference signal indicative of incremental volume units of the fraction collected during the measurement interval;
• and
• volume indicator means including a counter responsive to applied collection signals for providing an output indicative of the cumulative count of said collection signals;
• and
• incrementing means for applying only said difference signals which correspond to a collection rate within the range of collection rates as collection signals to said counter whereby said volume indicator means display collected volume notwithstanding external disturbances to the collection container.

In a blood fractionation apparatus for separating and collecting a blood fraction from whole blood, and having a predetermined range of collection rates, and of the type utilizing a disposable flow system having a collection container for the collected component, a collected volume display system comprising, in combination:

• suspension means for said collection container including an electrical transducer providing an output signal having a voltage level indicative of the weight of the collection chamber and the blood fraction container therein;
• conversion circuit means responsive to said transducer output signal for generating output pulses having a frequency dependent on said voltage level;
• an input counter;
• means for periodically applying said output pulses to said input counter for predetermined measurement intervals to develop output signals corresponding to the frequency of said pulses within each said measurement interval;
• means including a latch-type register for storing the output signal developed dureing each preceding measurement interval;
• binary adder means for providing a difference signal following each measurement interval indicative of the difference between the output of said input counter and the output of said register;
• incrementing means responsive to said difference signal for providing a related number of collection pulses only when said output is positive and within said range of collection rates;
• and
• a latch-type display counter for accumulating said collection pulses to provide an output indicative of the total volume of blood fraction collected.