Blood separation device

A separator for separating a test specimen from cells in a sample of blood, the separator comprising:

• a housing defining a separation container which is substantially symmetrical about a container axis, the separation container having a distal region, a proximal region, and an outlet region positioned between the distal region and the proximal region which substantially encircles the container axis, the separation container having a diameter which is widest proximate the outlet region and decreases towards the distal region and the proximal region, the separation container having a container inlet;
• a valve retainer positioned proximate the outlet region, the valve retainer including a groove extending substantially circumferentially around an outer surface of the housing;
• an outlet aperture extending through the housing between a bottom of the groove and the separation container;
• a valve including a tubular seal disposed within the groove which substantially seals the outlet aperture during non-rotation of the housing;
• a spinner for selectively rotating the separation container around the container axis at a separation speed which causes the cells to separate from the test specimen and an expellant speed which causes the valve to open and the cells to be expelled through the outlet aperture;
• and
• a monitor for directly monitoring the sample in the separation container.

A separator for separating a test specimen from cells in a sample of blood, the separator comprising:

• a housing defining a separation container, the separation container having a container inlet;
• an outlet aperture extending through the housing into the separation container;
• a valve which substantially closes the outlet aperture during non-rotation of the housing and opens during rotation of the housing at an expellant speed;
• and
• a monitor for monitoring the sample proximate the outlet aperture to determine when substantially all of the cells have been expelled from the separation container.

A separator for separating a fluid sample into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including cells and the second portion including a test specimen, the separator comprising:

• a housing defining a separation container, the separation container having a container inlet;
• an outlet aperture extending through the housing into the separation container;
• a motor means for selectively rotating the separation container at a separation speed and an expellant speed, rotation of the separation container at the separation speed causes the first portion to separate from the second portion within the separation container;
• wherein rotation at the expellant speed is faster than rotation at the separation speed;
• and
• a valve which substantially closes the outlet aperture during rotation of the separation container at the separation speed and opens during rotation of the separation container at the expellant speed;
• wherein rotation of the separation container at the expellant speed causes the valve to open.

A separator for separating a test specimen from cells in a sample of blood, the separator comprising:

• a housing defining a separation container which is substantially symmetrical about a container axis, the separation container having a distal region, a proximal region, and an outlet region positioned between the distal region and the proximal region which substantially encircles the container axis, the separation container having a diameter which is widest proximate the outlet region and decreases towards the distal region and the proximal region, the separation container having a container inlet;
• a valve retainer positioned proximate the outlet region, the valve retainer including a groove extending substantially circumferentially around an outer surface of the housing;
• an outlet aperture extending through the housing between a bottom of the groove and the separation container;
• a valve including a tubular seal disposed within the groove which substantially seals the outlet aperture during non-rotation of the housing;
• a spinner for selectively rotating the separation container around the container axis at a separation speed which causes the cells to separate from the test specimen and an expellant speed which causes the valve to open and the cells to be expelled through the outlet aperture;
• and
• a controller which controls the rotational speed of the spinner;
• wherein the separation speed is less than the expellant speed;
• and wherein the separation speed is at least one thousand RPM, and the expellant speed is at least five thousand RPM.