Patent ID: 7314460

Claim:
An extracorporeal therapeutic plasma exchange system comprising: means for withdrawing blood from a patient; means for separating a plasma constituent from the blood, wherein the means for separating a plasma constituent from the blood comprises a blood filtration apparatus characterized by an orbital motion with filter membrane means, wherein said filtration apparatus comprises a chamber having a hollow interior enclosed by a first plate, a second plate, and a flexible seal element between the first plate and the second plate, wherein the first plate is either essentially parallel to or at an acute angle to the second plate so as to form a chamber gap for the hollow interior; means for directing blood into the chamber gap; a non-rotational drive structure; said second plate comprising the filter membrane means for separating plasma constituent from the blood, wherein the second plate is detachably coupled to said non-rotational drive structure that controls the second plate in an orbital motion in reference to a center axis of the first plate; a collecting means; means for directing the plasma constituent passing through said filter membrane means to said collecting means; and means for directing from the chamber gap a remaining constituent of the blood out of the chamber; device means for therapeutically treating the plasma constituent before or during the step of directing the plasma constituent passing through said filter membrane means to said collecting means; and means for returning treated plasma constituent to said patient.