Patent ID: 8167139
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: A61B,A61M,B01D,B04B

Abstract:
1. A system for preparing a stem cell product from bone marrow or cord blood, comprising: a. a bag set, including a processing bag to hold collected bone marrow or cord blood, a red blood cell concentrate bag, a stem cell bag, and a metering valve, wherein said metering valve is connected to said processing bag, said red blood cell concentrate bag, and said stem cell bag; b. a processing device, within which said bag set fits, and including a microcontroller, a motor, an optical sensor, an LED, a load cell, and an accelerometer; c. said microcontroller operatively coupled to said motor, said optical sensor, said LED, said load cell, and said accelerometer; d. said motor operatively coupled to said metering valve when said bag set is contained in said processing device; e. wherein said microcontroller is configured to receive input from said accelerometer that said bag set is being centrifuged, in said processing device, with said metering valve closed, at a first g force that is sufficient to stratify the bone marrow or cord blood in said processing bag into a layer comprising red blood cells, a layer comprising white blood/stem cells and progenitor cells, and a layer comprising plasma; and f. wherein said microcontroller is configured to receive, after the bone marrow or cord blood is stratified in said processing bag, input from said accelerometer that said bag set is being centrifuged in said processing device at a second g force that is lower than said first g force, and then to direct said motor to cause said metering valve to open a fluid path between said processing bag and said red blood cell concentrate bag to allow transfer of a substantial portion of said red blood cells from said processing bag to said red blood cell concentrate bag, and then to direct said motor to cause said metering valve to close said fluid path between said processing bag and said red blood cell concentrate bag in response to said optical sensor detecting set amount of light transmittance from said LED through said processing bag at a level between a top edge and a bottom outlet of said processing bag; and g. wherein said microcontroller is configured to receive, after causing said metering valve to close said fluid path between said processing bag and said red blood cell concentrate bag, input from said accelerometer that said bag set is being centrifuged in said processing device at a third g force, and then to direct said motor to cause said metering valve to open and close said fluid path between said processing bag and said red blood cell concentrate bag multiple times in succession to successively repeat opening and closing said fluid path between said processing bag and said red blood cell concentrate bag for repeated, discrete amounts of time in succession to allow transfer of a further portion of said red blood cells from said processing bag to said red blood cell concentrate bag, and then to direct said motor to cause said metering valve to close said fluid path between said processing bag and said red blood cell concentrate bag in response to said optical sensor detecting a decrease in a rate of change of light transmittance from said LED through said processing bag at said level between said top edge and said bottom outlet of said processing bag; and h. wherein said microcontroller is configured to tare said stem cell bag to zero in response to an input received by said microcontroller from said load cell measuring a weight of said stem cell bag; and i. wherein said microcontroller is configured to direct, after said stem cell bag is tared to zero, said motor to cause said metering valve to open and close a fluid path between said processing bag and said stem cell bag multiple times in succession to successively repeat opening and closing said fluid path between said processing bag and said stem cell bag for repeated, discrete amounts of time in succession sufficient to transfer at least remaining red blood cells and the layer of white blood/stem cells and progenitor cells into said stem cell bag, and then to direct said motor to cause said metering valve to close said fluid path between said processing bag and said stem cell bag in response to receipt by said microcontroller of an input from said load cell of a pre-set weight.