Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Including controlling process in response to a sensed condition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-16
2001-11-06
Drodge, Joseph W. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Including controlling process in response to a sensed condition
C210S094000, C422S082090, C436S164000, C494S010000, C356S039000, C250S234000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312607
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to centrifugal processing systems and apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Today, people routinely separate whole blood by centrifugation into its various therapeutic components, such as red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
Certain therapies transfuse large volumes of blood components. For example, some patients undergoing chemotherapy require the transfusion of large numbers of platelets on a routine basis. Manual blood bag systems simply are not an efficient way to collect these large numbers of platelets from individual donors.
On line blood separation systems are today used to collect large numbers of platelets to meet this demand. On line systems perform the separation steps necessary to separate concentration of platelets from whole blood in a sequential process with the donor present. On line systems establish a flow of whole blood from the donor, separate out the desired platelets from the flow, and return the remaining red blood cells and plasma to the donor, all in a sequential flow loop.
Large volumes of whole blood (for example, 2.0 liters) can be processed using an on line system. Due to the large processing volumes, large yields of concentrated platelets (for example, 4×10
11
platelets suspended in 200 ml of fluid) can be collected. Moreover, since the donor's red blood cells are returned, the donor can donate whole blood for on line processing much more frequently than donors for processing in multiple blood bag systems.
Nevertheless, a need still exists for further improved systems and methods for collecting cellular-rich concentrates from blood components in a way that lends itself to use in high volume, on line blood collection environments, where higher yields of critically needed cellular blood components like platelets can be realized.
As the operational and performance demands upon such fluid processing systems become. more complex and sophisticated, the need exists for automated process controllers that can gather and generate more detailed information and control signals to aid the operator in maximizing processing and separation efficiencies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides blood processing systems and methods which separate blood into constituents including a plasma constituent having an optical density. The systems and methods convey a volume of the plasma constituent through an outlet path, while detecting the optical density of the plasma constituent. The systems and methods generate a first output indicative of the detected optical density. The systems and methods integrate the first output relative to the volume of plasma constituent conveyed to generate an integrated output. The integrated output correlates to the platelet volume carried in the plasma constituent and obviates the need to otherwise obtain the platelet volume by off line counting and sizing techniques. The systems and methods generate a second output based, at least in part, upon the integrated opacity value, comprising a value indicating a blood volume that needs be processed to obtain a desired platelet volume.
In a preferred embodiment, the plasma constituent includes a lipid content. In this embodiment, the systems and methods adjust the first output in proportion to the lipid content.
In a preferred embodiment, the systems and methods generate a third output based, at least in part, upon the integrated output. In a preferred embodiment, the third output comprises parameters for storing the platelet volume contained within the plasma constituent. For example, the third output can include a value representing the number of selected storage containers to be used for the platelet volume, or a value representing the recommended volume of storage medium for the platelet volume.
The various aspects of the invention are especially well suited for on line blood separation processes.
Features and advantages of the inventions are set forth in the following Description and Drawings, as well as in the appended claims.
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Brown Richard I
Foley John T
Patno Timothy J
Baxter International Inc.
Drodge Joseph W.
Price Bradford R. L.
Ryan Daniel D.
Serewicz Denise M.
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