Extracorporeal blood processing methods and apparatus

A method for extracorporeal separation and collection of blood components from a donor/patient, comprising:

• flowing blood into a centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel, said processing vessel including a first stage and a second stage, the second stage being separated from said first stage by a dam, a blood inlet for communicating blood into the first stage, a plasma outlet disposed in the second stage and a red blood cell outlet disposed in the first stage;
• centrifugally separating the blood into separated blood components including;
• separating plasma from said blood within said centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel to establish separated plasma, whereby a portion of the separated plasma flows over the dam in the processing vessel to the plasma outlet in the second stage of the processing vessel;
• separating red blood cells from said blood within said centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel to establish separated red blood cells whereby the separated red blood cells remain in the first stage of the processing vessel and flow to the red blood cell outlet;
• establishing a packing factor of at least about 13 for the separated red blood cells within said blood processing vessel;
• collecting at least a portion of at least one separated blood component including;
• collecting as a double red blood cell product at least a portion of said separated red blood cells in a red blood cell collection reservoir separate from said blood processing vessel to establish collected red blood cells
• collecting at least a portion of the separated plasma in a plasma collection reservoir separate from said blood processing vessel to establish collected plasma;
• and
• wherein said plasma collection step is performed at least partially contemporaneously with said red blood cell collection step.

A method for extracorporeal separation and collection of blood components from a donor/patient, comprising:

• flowing blood into a centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel, said processing vessel including a first stage and a second stage, the second stage being separated from said first stage by a dam, a blood inlet for communicating blood into the first stage, a plasma outlet disposed in the second stage and a red blood cell outlet disposed in the first stage;
• centrifugally separating the blood into separated blood components including;
• separating plasma from said blood within said centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel to establish separated plasma, whereby a portion of the separated plasma flows over the dam in the processing vessel to the plasma outlet in the second stage of the processing vessel;
• separating red blood cells from said blood within said centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel to establish separated red blood cells whereby the separated red blood cells remain in the first stage of the processing vessel and flow to the red blood cell outlet;
• collecting at least a portion of at least one separated blood component including;
• collecting as a double red blood cell product at least a portion of said separated red blood cells in a red blood cell collection reservoir separate from said blood processing vessel to establish collected red blood cells in which said double volume of collected red blood cells totals substantially about 400 milliliters contained in two substantially separate reservoirs.

A method for extracorporeal separation and collection of blood components from a donor/patient, comprising:

• flowing blood into a centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel, said processing vessel including a first stage and a second stage, the second stage being separated from said first stage by a dam, a blood inlet for communicating blood into the first stage, a plasma outlet disposed in the second stage and a red blood cell outlet disposed in the first stage;
• centrifugally separating the blood into separated blood components including;
• separating plasma from said blood within said centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel to establish separated plasma, whereby a portion of the separated plasma flows over the dam in the processing vessel to the plasma outlet in the second stage of the processing vessel;
• separating red blood cells from said blood within said centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel to establish separated red blood cells whereby the separated red blood cells remain in the first stage of the processing vessel and flow to the red blood cell outlet;
• flowing the separated blood components out of said blood processing vessel, wherein substantially all of said separated blood components flowing out of the blood processing vessel are accumulated for re-infusion to a donor/patient during the set-up step;
• collecting at least a portion of at least one separated blood component including;
• collecting as a double red blood cell product at least a portion of said separated red blood cells in a red blood cell collection reservoir separate from said blood processing vessel to establish collected red blood cells.

A method for extracorporeal separation and collection of blood components from a donor/patient, comprising:

• removing blood from a donor/patient through a single needle;
• flowing said blood into a centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel, said processing vessel including a first stage and a second stage, the second stage being separated from said first stage by a dam, a blood inlet for communicating blood into the first stage, a plasma outlet disposed in the second stage and a red blood cell outlet disposed in the first stage;
• centrifugally separating the blood into separated blood components including;
• separating plasma from said blood within said centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel to establish separated plasma, whereby a portion of the separated plasma flows over the dam in the processing vessel to the plasma outlet in the second stage of the processing vessel;
• separating red blood cells from said blood within said centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel to establish separated red blood cells whereby the separated red blood cells remain in the first stage of the processing vessel and flow to the red blood cell outlet;
• collecting at least a portion of at least one separated blood component including;
• recirculating a portion of the uncollected separated blood components into said blood processing vessel;
• and
• collecting as a double red blood cell product at least a portion of said separated red blood cells in a red blood cell collection reservoir separate from said blood processing vessel to establish collected red blood cells;
• returning substantially all of the uncollected separated blood components to said donor/patient;
• and
• collecting at least a portion of the separated plasma in a plasma collection reservoir separate from said blood processing vessel to establish collected plasma;
• and
• wherein said plasma collection step is performed at least partially contemporaneously with said red blood cell collection step.

A method for extracorporeal separation and collection of blood components from a donor/patient, comprising:

• flowing blood into a centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel, said processing vessel including a first stage and a second stage, the second stage being separated from said first stage by a dam, a blood inlet for communicating blood into the first stage, a plasma outlet disposed in the second stage and a red blood cell outlet disposed in the first stage;
• centrifugally separating the blood into separated blood components including;
• separating plasma from said blood within said centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel to establish separated plasma, whereby a portion of the separated plasma flows over the dam in the processing vessel to the plasma outlet in the second stage of the processing vessel;
• separating red blood cells from said blood within said centrifugal dual stage blood processing vessel to establish separated red blood cells whereby the separated red blood cells remain in the first stage of the processing vessel and flow to the red blood cell outlet;
• collecting at least a portion of at least one separated blood component including;
• collecting as a double red blood cell product at least a portion of said separated red blood cells in a red blood cell collection reservoir separate from said blood processing vessel to establish collected red blood cells;
• adding a storage solution to said separated red blood cells collected in said red blood cell collection reservoir, said storage solution being added through an assembly having a sterile barrier filter.