Patent ID: 6610002
Filing Date: 2003-08-26
Classification: A61M,B04B

Abstract:
A method of harvesting desired cellular components from anticoagulated whole blood, said method comprising:a) providing a flexible centrifuge bag comprising: i) at least one inlet tube; ii) at least one outlet tube; iii) upper and lower flexible sheets, said sheets having doughnut shaped configurations, inner perimeters defining a central core of said centrifuge bag and outer perimeters, wherein said upper and lower sheets are superimposed and completely sealed together at their outer perimeters thereby defining the outer perimeter of said centrifuge bag, and wherein said tubes are sandwiched between said upper and lower sheets and extend from the central core of said centrifuge bag, whereby when said upper and lower sheets are sealed together at their inner perimeters said tubes are sealed between said upper and lower sheets at the inner perimeters; b) providing a centrifuge rotor; c) securing said flexible centrifuge bag horizontally in said centrifuge rotor whereby said centrifuge bag is rotatable therewith; d) rotating said centrifuge rotor; e) providing an aliquot of said whole blood to said rotating centrifuge bag via said inlet tube, whereby said whole blood separates radially into an outermost first fraction containing red blood cells, a second fraction containing white blood cells, a third fraction containing platelet rich plasma, and an innermost fourth fraction containing platelet poor plasma, wherein the distal end of said outlet tube is in flow communication with a fraction containing a desired cellular components fraction; and f) withdrawing said desired cellular components fraction from said rotating centrifuge bag via said outlet tube until a substantial portion of said fraction has been removed from said bag; and g) terminating withdrawal of said desired cellular components fraction when an undesired fraction is detected to be near the distal end of said outlet tube.