Fluid separation system
AssigneeTransfusion Technologies Corporation
InventorsThomas D. Headley, Edward T. Powers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for separating a fluid having heavier and lighter components. The system includes a rotor having a rigid mounting member and an elastic diaphragm attached to the mounting member, the diaphragm defining a chamber. The system also includes a chuck for holding the rigid mounting member of the rotor and for spinning the rotor around an axis. The pressure of a control fluid, preferably a control gas, disposed adjacent the rotor's diaphragm is varied in order to control the volume of the rotor. Pressurizing the control gas causes fluid to flow out of the rotor; applying a vacuum to the diaphragm draws fluid into the rotor.
Claims48
A system for separating a fluid having heavier and lighter components, the system comprising:
- a rotor having a rigid mounting member and an elastic diaphragm attached to the mounting member, the diaphragm defining a chamber;
- means for holding the rigid mounting member of the rotor and for spinning the rotor around an axis;
- and
- means, in fluid communication with the spinning means, for changing the pressure of a control fluid adjacent the rotor's diaphragm.
The system according to 22, wherein the control means controls the volume of the chamber by controlling the pressure-changing means.
The system according to 22, wherein the control means controls the volume of the chamber by controlling the speed of rotation.
The system according to 22, wherein the control means controls the volume of the chamber by controlling the pressure-changing means and by controlling the speed of rotation.
A system for processing blood from a wound drain, the system comprising:
- a rotor having a rigid mounting member and an elastic diaphragm attached to the mounting member, the diaphragm defining a chamber;
- means for holding the rigid mounting member of the rotor and for spinning the rotor around an axis;
- and
- means, in fluid communication with the spinning means, for changing the pressure of a control fluid adjacent the rotor's diaphragm;
- wherein the pressure-changing means includes means for applying pressurized gas against the diaphragm, so as to force fluid out of the rotor, and means for applying a vacuum against the diaphragm, so as to draw fluid into the rotor;
- a wound drain placed in a patient, the wound drain being attached the rotor, wherein a vacuum is applied to the diaphragm so as to draw blood from the wound drain into the chamber;
- and
- means for directing, after the rotor is spun, lighter blood components to a separate reservoir and returning concentrated red blood cells remaining in the rotor to the patient.
A system for processing blood from a wound drain, the system comprising:
- a rotor having a rigid mounting member and an elastic diaphragm attached to the mounting member, the diaphragm defining a chamber;
- means for holding the rigid mounting member of the rotor and for spinning the rotor around an axis;
- means, in fluid communication with the spinning means, for changing the pressure of a control fluid adjacent the rotor's diaphragm;
- a wound drain placed in a patient;
- canister means, in fluid communication with the wound drain and the rotor, for holding blood from the wound drain, wherein a vacuum is applied to the canister means so as to draw blood from the wound drain into the canister means;
- means for moving blood from the canister means to the rotor;
- and
- means for directing, after the rotor is spun, lighter blood components to a separate reservoir and returning concentrated red blood cells remaining in the rotor to the patient.
A system for processing blood from a patient's surgery site, the system comprising:
- a rotor having a rigid mounting member and an elastic diaphragm attached to the mounting member, the diaphragm defining a chamber;
- means for holding the rigid mounting member of the rotor and for spinning the rotor around an axis;
- means, in fluid communication with the spinning means, for changing the pressure of a control fluid adjacent the rotor's diaphragm;
- a suction tube leading from the surgery site, the suction tube being attached to the rotor, wherein blood drawn from the surgery site through the suction tube may be provided to the rotor;
- and
- means for directing, after the rotor is spun, lighter blood components to a separate reservoir and returning concentrated red blood cells remaining in the rotor to the patient.
A system for separating a fluid having heavier and lighter components, the system comprising:
- a rotor having an elastic diaphragm defining a variable-volume chamber;
- means for spinning the rotor around an axis;
- and
- means for changing the pressure of a gas adjacent the rotor's diaphragm, so as provide a vacuum for drawing fluid into the chamber and so as to provide pressurized gas for forcing fluid out of the chamber;
- wherein the rotor includes a rigid mounting member, and
- the spinning means includes means for holding the rigid mounting member.
A system for separating a fluid having heavier and lighter components, the system comprising:
- a rotor having an elastic diaphragm defining a variable-volume chamber;
- means for spinning the rotor around an axis;
- and
- means for changing the pressure of a gas adjacent the rotor's diaphragm, so as provide a vacuum for drawing fluid into the chamber and so as to provide pressurized gas for forcing fluid out of the chamber;
- wherein the rotor includes a rigid core attached to the elastic diaphragm, and
- the spinning means includes means for holding the interior of the rigid core.
A system for separating a fluid having heavier and lighter components, the system comprising:
- a rotor having an elastic diaphragm defining a variable-volume chamber;
- means for spinning the rotor around an axis;
- means for changing the pressure of a gas adjacent the rotor's diaphragm, so as provide a vacuum for drawing fluid into the chamber and so as to provide pressurized gas for forcing fluid out of the chamber;
- and
- control means for controlling the speed of rotation of the spinning means and the rotor, and for controlling the pressure-changing means.
The system according to 35, wherein the control means controls the volume of the chamber by controlling the speed of rotation and the pressure-changing means.
A system for separating a fluid having heavier and lighter components, the system comprising:
- a rotor having an elastic diaphragm defining a variable-volume chamber;
- means for spinning the rotor around an axis;
- means for changing the pressure of a gas adjacent the rotor's diaphragm, so as provide a vacuum for drawing fluid into the chamber and so as to provide pressurized gas for forcing fluid out of the chamber;
- and
- control means for controlling the speed of rotation of the spinning means and the rotor, wherein the control means controls the volume of the chamber by controlling the speed of rotation.
A system for separating a fluid having heavier and lighter components, the system comprising:
- a rotor having an elastic diaphragm defining a variable-volume chamber;
- means for spinning the rotor around an axis;
- means for changing the pressure of a gas adjacent the rotor's diaphragm, so as provide a vacuum for drawing fluid into the chamber and so as to provide pressurized gas for forcing fluid out of the chamber;
- and
- control means for controlling the pressure-changing means, wherein the control means controls the volume of the chamber by controlling the pressure-changing means.
A system for separating a fluid having heavier and lighter components, the system comprising:
- a rotor having an elastic diaphragm, which defines a chamber, a first conduit for permitting unseparated fluid to flow into the chamber, and a second conduit for permitting separated fluid components to flow out of the chamber while unseparated fluid enters the chamber;
- means for spinning the rotor around an axis;
- and
- means for changing the pressure of a fluid adjacent the rotor's diaphragm;
- wherein the pressure-changing means includes means for applying pressurized gas against the diaphragm, so as to force fluid out of the rotor;
- and
- wherein the pressure-changing means further includes means for applying a vacuum against the diaphragm, so as to draw fluid into the rotor.
A system for performing red-blood-cell apheresis on a donor, the system comprising:
- a rotor having an elastic diaphragm, which defines a chamber, a first conduit for permitting unseparated fluid to flow into the chamber, and a second conduit for permitting separated fluid components to flow out of the chamber while unseparated fluid enters the chamber;
- and
- means for spinning the rotor around an axis to separate a fluid in the chamber into heavier and lighter fluid components;
- and
- means for changing the pressure of a fluid adjacent the rotor's diaphragm;
- further including
- means for drawing whole blood from the donor and introducing the whole blood into the chamber through the second conduit;
- and
- control means for controlling the speed of rotation of the spinning means and the rotor, and for controlling the pressure-changing means so that the pressure being applied to the diaphragm allows the chamber to increase in volume at a rate substantially equal to the volume of the red-blood-cell component of the whole blood entering the chamber, so that the volume of lighter fluid components in the chamber is kept relatively low.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.