Blood component collection systems and methods using an integral sampling device

A method of collecting a blood sample comprising the steps of

• collecting blood in a container,
• opening communication between the container and an external sample pouch through intermediate tubing, the external sample pouch comprising pouch walls made of a material having resilience to normally maintain the pouch walls in a spaced apart condition containing residual air,
• with communication open through the intermediate tubing, applying an external squeezing force to move the pouch walls together against the resilience of the material into an essentially collapsed condition and thereby displace the residual air from the sample pouch through the intermediate tubing into the container,
• closing the intermediate tubing to close communication between the container and the external sample pouch and retain the sample pouch in the essentially collapsed condition against the resilience of the material,
• with the intermediate tubing closed, orienting the sample pouch in the essentially collapsed condition to receive blood from the container, and
• with the sample pouch oriented in the essentially collapsed condition to receive blood from the container, opening the intermediate tubing to open communication between the container and the sample pouch through the intermediate tubing, the pouch walls returning, when the intermediate tubing is opened, from the essentially collapsed condition to the spaced apart condition solely in response to the resilience of the material to create a vacuum in the intermediate tubing that draws by suction a sample of the blood from the container into the sample pouch.