Patent ID: 7354415

Claim:
A method for extra-corporeal collection of a blood component from a donor/patient, comprising: using an extra-corporeal blood processing system having an extra-corporeal blood processing machine, wherein said machine generates a list of component collection options; using a plurality of donor/patient characteristics to determine blood components capable of being collected from said donor/patient according to different procedures wherein said donor/patient characteristic includes the hematocrit of the donor/patient; generating a list having a plurality of blood component collection procedures; using the list in selecting a blood component collection procedure; establishing a pre-determined packing factor for separated red blood cells within a centrifugal blood processing vessel; removing blood from a donor/patient; flowing the blood into said centrifugal blood processing vessel; separating the blood into separated blood components within said centrifugal blood processing vessel, said separated blood components including at least separated plasma and separated red blood cells; collecting at least a portion of at least one of said blood components from said centrifugal blood processing vessel in a blood component collection reservoir separate from said centrifugal blood processing vessel; returning at least a portion of the uncollected separated blood components from said blood processing vessel to said donor/patient.