US 5,704,889 AGranted

Spillover collection of sparse components such as mononuclear cells in a centrifuge apparatus

AssigneeCobe Laboratories, Inc.

InventorsDennis Hlavinka, Thomas J. Felt

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Abstract

A centrifuge apparatus is used for collecting white blood cells (WBC), primarily mononuclear cells, from whole blood stratified into layers. A thin mononuclear (MNC) layer is formed at the interface of red blood cells and plasma. A barrier is positioned in the separation vessel of the centrifuge at a location to intercept the thin layer. MNC fluid is allowed to pool behind the barrier before collection is started. To collect the MNC pool, the stratified red blood cell layer is raised from below the interface level by slowing or reversing flow in the RBC exit line thereby causing the MNC pool to spill over the barrier into a well in which a collect line is positioned. Collection ceases when a desired percentage of the pool is removed and the normal position of the interface is re-established; thereafter the pool builds again. By raising the MNC pool from below, improvements in purity and collect volume are achieved. The collection procedure can be useful for harvesting granulocytes and, in general, any sparse stratified component of a centrifuged solution where the sparse component is layered between more dense and less dense strata.

Claims15

Dependent claims

The centrifugal method of harvesting a sparse component within a liquid where the sparse component is stratified in a first layer located between a second layer of more dense component and a third layer of less dense component, an interface formed at the junction of said third layer with the layers of more dense components, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a separation vessel for use with centrifuge apparatus, said vessel having a barrier located therein, an inlet line for delivering said liquid to said vessel, a collect line for collecting said sparse component, a first exit line for exiting said more dense component, and a second exit line for exiting said less dense component;
providing a control system so that said apparatus can be operated to collect said sparse component, including an accumulation phase and a spillover phase;
during the accumulation phase, providing for establishing the level of said interface in a steady state condition at said barrier to allow said sparse component to form a pool while said less dense component flows past said barrier to said second exit line and said more dense component exits said vessel through said first exit line;
during the spillover phase, providing for raising the level of said interface from below the level of said interface to cause said pool to spill past said barrier to said collect line for harvesting said sparse component.

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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.