Patent ID: 8313954

Claim:
A method for separating whole blood into different components comprising: drawing the whole blood directly from a patient into a separation chamber through a port of the separation chamber, the separation chamber having a first buoy fixedly mounted to a buoy guide post and a second buoy slidably mounted to the buoy guide post, the buoy guide post having a first valve and a second valve, said first valve is closed and said second valve is open when said second buoy is in a first position, the whole blood is drawn into the separation chamber through the first buoy, the second buoy, and the second valve into an area between the second buoy and a plunger slidably mounted in the separation chamber; rotating the chamber in a centrifuge for a sufficient period of time such that the second buoy moves to a second position in which the second buoy is spaced apart from the first buoy to close the second valve and open the first valve and the components of the whole blood separate according to density such that red blood cells are between the port and the first buoy, platelet rich plasma is between the first buoy an the second buoy, and platelet poor plasma is between the second buoy and the plunger; and depressing the plunger to a first distance within the separation chamber to move the second buoy from the second position to the first position to force the platelet rich plasma through the first valve and out of the separation chamber through the port, to close the first valve, and to open the second valve.