Blood separation system particularly for concentrating hematopoietic stem cells

A system for the processing and separation of biological fluids into components, comprising a set of containers for receiving the biological fluid to be separated and the separated components, and optionally one or more additional containers for additive solutions, and a hollow centrifugal processing chamber rotatable about an axis of rotation and having an axial inlet/outlet for the biological fluid to be processed and for the processed components of the fluid, the processing chamber containing an axially movable member which defines a separation space of variable size for receiving biological fluid, the member being axially movable to intake a selected quantity of biological fluid to be processed into the separation space via said inlet and to express processed biological fluid components from the separation space via said outlet, and means for monitoring the position of the axially movable member to thereby control the amount of intaken biological fluid and the expression of separated components, the system further comprising a distribution valve arrangement for establishing selective communication between the processing chamber and selected containers or for placing the processing chamber and containers out of communication, the system comprising means for controlling operation of the system in two operational modes, a separation mode and a non-separation transfer mode, wherein:

• in the separation mode fluids can be intaken into the processing chamber while the chamber is rotating or stationary, fluid intaken into the chamber is centrifuged and separated into components, and the separated components expressed while the chamber is rotating or, optionally, for the last separated component, while the chamber is stationary;
• and
• in the transfer mode the processing chamber intakes fluid and expresses fluid with the chamber stationary, the valve actuation arrangement being actuable to transfer amounts of fluid from one container to another via the processing chamber, by axially moving the member, without centrifugation or separation of the fluid into components, and said means for monitoring the position of the axially movable member controls the amounts of non-separated fluids transferred.