# US 9,452,254 B2 · Method for controlling a blood component separation device including temporarily storing a component in a container > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,452,254 B2 - Document ID: US9452254B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/640,084 - Filed: 2015-03-06 - Published: 2015-06-25 - Granted: 2016-09-27 - Earliest claimed: 2012-09-11 - Assignees: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Shigeyuki Kimura; Takemi Kobayashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9452254B2 ## CPC - A61M 1/3696: {with means for adding or withdrawing liquid substances during the centrifugation, e.g. continuous centrifugation} - A61M 1/0218: {with filters} - A61M 1/0231: {with gas separating means, e.g. air outlet through microporous membrane or gas bag} - A61M 1/0245: {combined with blood container shaking means} - B04B 11/02: Continuous feeding or discharging; Control arrangements therefor - A61M 1/3693: {using separation based on different densities of components, e.g. centrifuging} - A61M 2202/0413: Blood - A61M 2202/0427: Platelets; Thrombocytes - B04B 11/00: Feeding, charging, or discharging bowls (B04B1/00, B04B3/00, B04B7/04 take precedence) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - B04B: CENTRIFUGES (high-speed drum mills B02C19/11; domestic spin driers D06F; analysing, measuring or monitoring physical or chemical properties of samples during centrifuging, see the relevant subclasses for these procedures, e.g. G01N) ## Abstract The object of the invention is to provide a blood separation device that can reduce the total time for drawing blood to obtain high-concentration platelet liquid, thereby reducing the binding time of the blood donor. The device includes a temporary storage bag (Y2) (also serves as a buffy coat bag) which is a whole blood bag for storing whole blood drawn from a blood donor. The controlling unit of the device controls the device to draw whole blood from the blood donor in parallel with at least either a circulation flow step or an acceleration step, thereby storing the drawn whole blood in the temporary storage bag (Y2). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling a blood component separation device comprising: a centrifugal separator for separating a predetermined blood component from blood; and a container for containing the predetermined blood component that is centrifugally separated, wherein the method comprises: (a) a centrifugal separation step of introducing whole blood drawn from a blood donor into the centrifugal separator with a first blood pump to separate the whole blood into a plurality of blood components, (b) a circulation flow step of introducing a predetermined first blood component, among centrifugally separated blood components, into a first container together with whole blood, and (c) a circulation/acceleration step of stopping supply of whole blood to the centrifugal separator after separating a predetermined amount of the first blood component in the circulation flow step, introducing only the first blood component stored in the first container to the centrifugal separator with a second blood pump to circulate the first blood component for a predetermined period of time, and increasing a circulation speed in the centrifugal separator to separate and collect a second blood component, wherein whole blood drawn from the blood donor is temporarily stored in a temporary storage container during at least a period of time in the circulation/acceleration step, and a first tube coupled to the temporary storage container is further coupled to an outlet port of the centrifugal separator and a second tube also coupled to the temporary storage container is further coupled between the first container and the second blood pump. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the second tube is branched such that a first branch tube is coupled between the first container and the second blood pump and a second branch tube is coupled to an outlet port of the first blood pump, an open/close valve is provided on each of two branch tubes branched from the second tube, an open/close valve is provided to an outlet port of the second blood pump, and an open/close valve is provided to an outlet port of the first container. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the blood component separation device is configured to perform (d) a blood returning step, which is performed after collecting a predetermined amount of the second blood component in the circulation/acceleration step, of returning to the blood donor a blood component that is not collected, and whole blood stored in the temporary storage container is introduced, in the centrifugal separation step in a following cycle, into the centrifugal separator together with whole blood drawn in the following cycle, the steps (a) to (d) constituting one cycle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein, the circulation/acceleration step includes: a first collecting step of transferring a portion of the second blood component with low-concentration to the temporary storage container; and a second collecting step of collecting a portion of the second blood component with high-concentration, and the second blood component with low-concentration transferred to the temporary storage container and whole blood collected in the temporary storage container in a following cycle are introduced into the centrifugal separator together with whole blood drawn in the following cycle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein, the circulation/acceleration step includes: a first collecting step of transferring a portion of the second blood component with low-concentration to the temporary storage container; and a second collecting step of collecting a portion of the second blood component with high-concentration, and the second blood component with low-concentration transferred to the temporary storage container and whole blood collected in the temporary storage container in a following cycle are introduced into the centrifugal separator together with whole blood drawn in the following cycle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the blood component separation device is configured to perform (d) a blood returning step, which is performed after collecting a predetermined amount of the second blood component in the circulation/acceleration step, of returning to the blood donor a blood component that is not collected, and whole blood stored in the temporary storage container is introduced, in the centrifugal separation step in a following cycle, into the centrifugal separator together with whole blood drawn in the following cycle, the steps (a) to (d) constituting one cycle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein, the circulation/acceleration step includes: a first collecting step of transferring a portion of the second blood component with low-concentration to the temporary storage container; and a second collecting step of collecting a portion of the second blood component with high-concentration, and the second blood component with low-concentration transferred to the temporary storage container and whole blood collected in the temporary storage container in a following cycle are introduced into the centrifugal separator together with whole blood drawn in the following cycle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the second blood pump introduces, in the centrifugal separation step in a following cycle, at least either whole blood or a low-concentration second blood component stored in the temporary storage container in a previous cycle into the centrifugal separator. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the second tube is branched such that a first branch tube is coupled between the first container and the second blood pump and a second branch tube is coupled to an outlet port of the first blood pump, an open/close valve is provided on each of two branched tubes branched from the second tube, an open/close valve is provided to an outlet port of the second blood pump, and an open/close valve is provided to an outlet port of the first container. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the blood component separation device is configured to perform (d) a blood returning step, which is performed after collecting a predetermined amount of the second blood component in the circulation/acceleration step, of returning to the blood donor a blood component that is not collected, and whole blood stored in the storage container is introduced, in the centrifugal separation step in a following cycle, into the centrifugal separator together with whole blood drawn in the following cycle, the steps (a) to (d) constituting one cycle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein, the circulation/acceleration step includes: a first collecting step of transferring a portion of the second blood component with low-concentration to the temporary storage container; and a second collecting step of collecting a portion of the second blood component with high-concentration, and the second blood component with low-concentration transferred to the temporary storage container and whole blood collected in the temporary storage container in a following cycle are introduced into the centrifugal separator together with whole blood drawn in the following cycle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein, the circulation/acceleration step includes: a first collecting step of transferring a portion of the second blood component with low-concentration to the temporary storage container; and a second collecting step of collecting a portion of the second blood component with high-concentration, and the second blood component with low-concentration transferred to the temporary storage container and whole blood collected in the temporary storage container in a following cycle are introduced into the centrifugal separator together with whole blood drawn in the following cycle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the blood component separation device is configured to perform (d) a blood returning step, which is performed after collecting a predetermined amount of the second blood component in the circulation/acceleration step, of returning to the blood donor a blood component that is not collected, and whole blood stored in the storage container is introduced, in the centrifugal separation step in a following cycle, into the centrifugal separator together with whole blood drawn in the following cycle, the steps (a) to (d) constituting one cycle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein, the circulation/acceleration step includes: a first collecting step of transferring a portion of the second blood component with low-concentration to the temporary storage container; and a second collecting step of collecting a portion of the second blood component with high-concentration, and the second blood component with low-concentration transferred to the temporary storage container and whole blood collected in the temporary storage container in a following cycle are introduced into the centrifugal separator together with whole blood drawn in the following cycle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein, the circulation/acceleration step includes: a first collecting step of transferring a portion of the second blood component with low-concentration to the temporary storage container; and a second collecting step of collecting a portion of the second blood component with high-concentration, and the second blood component with low-concentration transferred to the temporary storage container and whole blood collected in the temporary storage container in a following cycle are introduced into the centrifugal separator together with whole blood drawn in the following cycle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein, the circulation/acceleration step includes: a first collecting step of transferring a portion of the second blood component with low-concentration to the temporary storage container; and a second collecting step of collecting a portion of the second blood component with high-concentration, and the second blood component with low-concentration transferred to the temporary storage container and whole blood collected in the temporary storage container in a following cycle are introduced into the centrifugal separator together with whole blood drawn in the following cycle.