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US 5,364,385 AGranted
Storage bag for blood and blood components
AssigneeLifeSource Advanced Blood Bank Systems, Inc.
InventorsFrank H. Harms, John R. Beard, Alexander Duncan
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AssigneeLifeSource Advanced Blood Bank Systems, Inc.
InventorsFrank H. Harms, John R. Beard, Alexander Duncan
Estimating the term…
A bag is disclosed for the collection, freezing, storage, and rapid thawing of fluids, and particularly blood and blood components. Front and back sheets of fluid impervious material are bonded to one another along edge portions thereof to form a bag defining a reservoir. The front and back sheets are further bonded together at a plurality of locations intermediate the edge portions to constrain the distance by which the front and back sheets can separate. The intermediate fastening locations are disposed to permit uniform filling of the reservoir. A port is provided for introducing and discharging fluid into and out of the reservoir. When a fluid is introduced into the reservoir, the front and back sheets are constrained from separating in response to a pressure exerted by the fluid by the intermediate fastenings between the front and back sheets to constrain the thickness of the bag. The distance between the centermost points in the interior of the bag and the corresponding closest points on the exterior of the bag is thereby minimized, increasing the rate at which heat is transferred into or out of the bag contents. Heat transfer is thus greatly improved, markedly reducing the time required to freeze or thaw the bag contents.
A bag for the collection, freezing, storage, and rapid thawing of a fluid, comprising:
A method for storing blood or blood components, comprising the steps of:
A method for storing blood or blood components, comprising the steps of:
The method of claim 19, wherein said step of shaping the exterior surface of said bag into a plurality of curved surfaces to increase the surface area of said bag comprises the step of shaping said bag into a plurality of tubular structures.
The method of claim 19, wherein said step of collecting said blood or blood components in a bag comprises the step of collecting said blood or blood components in a bag having front and rear bag surfaces, and wherein said step of shaping the exterior surface of said bag into a plurality of curved surfaces to increase the surface area of said bag comprises the step of constraining said front and rear bag surfaces at a plurality of intermediate locations such that pressure exerted by said blood or blood components collected in said bag distends portions of said front and back bag surfaces outwardly at other than said plurality of intermediate constraining locations so as to form a plurality of curved bag surfaces.
A method for reducing the degradation of Factor 8 during the freezing of whole blood or plasma, comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.