Patent ID: 7407472

Claim:
A centrifuge apparatus for processing blood comprising a bottom spring-loaded support plate; a top support plate; an axial inlet/outlet for blood to be processed and processed components of the blood, the axial inlet/outlet being attached to the top support plate by a rotating seal assembly; a variable volume separation chamber mounted between the bottom support plate and the top support plate, the variable volume separation chamber being fluidly connected to the axial inlet/outlet; a pump fluidly connected to the axial inlet/outlet; and a rotary drive unit attached to the bottom support plate, wherein the top support plate is fixed vertically and the bottom spring-loaded support plate is mounted on springs that maintain pressure on the variable volume separation chamber and allow the bottom support plate to move vertically, wherein the axial inlet/outlet is connected to a container for blood and to a plurality of containers for receiving separated components of the blood, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a multi-position valve for controlling intake of blood from the container for blood and outlet of processed blood components from the axial inlet/outlet to the plurality of containers for blood, wherein the multi-position valve has a first position in which only two separate fluid conduits are provided within the valve and a second position in which only one fluid conduit is provided within the valve, and wherein the variable volume separation chamber is a disk-shaped bag.