Method for collecting platelets and other blood components from whole blood
AssigneeTransfusion Technologies Corporation
InventorThomas D. Headley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for collecting, from whole blood, platelets suspended in plasma. By centrifuging the blood at a high enough rotational speed, the platelets are separated from the plasma and the red blood cells. In a preferred embodiment, some of the plasma is removed while the centrifuge is being spun to keep the platelets separated from the plasma. Then, the speed of rotation is altered so as to cause the platelets to mix with the remaining plasma. The platelets can then be collected with the remaining plasma.
Claims15
A method of collecting platelets comprising:
- providing a centrifuge rotor having a variable total volume;
- introducing whole blood into the centrifuge rotor;
- determining a weight of the whole blood introduced into the rotor;
- spinning the rotor at a first speed so as to separate the blood into a first component, a second component and a third component, wherein the first component is primarily plasma, wherein the second component is located, while the rotor is being spun, outside of the first component and is primarily red blood cells, and wherein the third component is located, while the rotor is being spun, between the first and second components and includes platelets;
- removing from the rotor a weight of first component;
- determining as a function of the weight of the whole blood, the weight of first component to remove;
- changing the rotor's speed of rotation so as to cause the third component to mix with first component remaining in the rotor;
- and
- removing from the rotor a portion of the plasma containing platelets.
A method of collecting platelets from whole blood, the method comprising:
- providing a disposible set having an inlet, a platelet container, a centrifuge rotor having a variable total volume, and tubing connecting the inlet, the platelet container and the rotor;
- providing a control unit having a spinner in which the rotor may be held;
- placing the rotor in the spinner;
- drawing whole blood through the inlet;
- directing the whole blood from the inlet through the tubing to the rotor;
- determining a weight of the whole blood directed into the rotor;
- causing the spinner to rotate the rotor so as to separate the whole blood into a first component, a second component and a third component, wherein the first component is primarily plasma, wherein the second component is located, while the rotor is being spun, outside of the first component and is primarily red blood cells, and wherein the third component is located, while the rotor is being spun, between the first and second components and includes platelets;
- removing from the rotor a weight of first component determining as a function of the weight of the whole blood the weight of first component to remove;
- altering the rotor's speed of rotation so as to cause the third component to mix with the first component;
- and
- urging a mixture of the first and third components out of the rotor, while the rotor is still spinning.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.