Claims
- 1. A method for centrifugally separating whole blood into red blood cells and a plasma constituent comprising the steps of
rotating a separation zone about a rotational axis, the rotating separation zone having radially spaced apart walls with a high-G side and a low-G side located closer to the rotational axis than the high-G side, a blood flow path that extends circumferentially about the rotation axis, the first rotating separation zone including an entry region where whole blood enters the first rotating separation zone to begin separation and a terminal wall that is circumferentially spaced from the entry region, where separation is halted, directing whole blood into the rotating separation zone through a first path adjacent the entry region, to begin separation of the whole blood into red blood cells toward the high-G side and plasma constituent toward the low-G side, directing red blood cells separated in the first separation zone in a circumferential flow direction toward the terminal wall, and directing separated red blood cells from the rotating separation zone through a second path adjacent the terminal wall, the second path including a portion that is recessed into the high-G wall.
- 2. A method according to claim 1further including the step of directing separated plasma constituent from the rotating separation zone through a third path.
- 3. A method according to claim 1further including the step of directing separated plasma constituent from the rotating separation zone through a third path that is spaced closer to the terminal wall than the third path is spaced from the first path.
- 4. A method according to claim 1further including the step of directing separated plasma constituent from the rotating separation zone through a third path that is between the first path and the second path.
- 5. A method for centrifugally separating whole blood into red blood cells and a plasma constituent comprising the steps of
rotating a separation zone about a rotational axis, the rotating separation zone having radially spaced apart walls with a high-G side and a low-G side located closer to the rotational axis than the high-G side, a blood flow path that extends circumferentially about the rotation axis, the rotating separation zone including an entry region where whole blood enters the rotating separation zone to begin separation and a terminal wall that is circumferentially spaced from the entry region, where separation is halted, directing whole blood into the rotating separation zone through a first path adjacent the entry region, to begin separation of the whole blood into red blood cells toward the high-G side and plasma constituent toward the low-G side, directing red blood cells separated in the separation zone in a circumferential flow direction toward the terminal wall, and directing separated red blood cells from the rotating separation zone through a second path that extends, at least in part, radially beyond the high-G wall.
- 6. A method according to claim 5further including the step of directing separated plasma constituent from the rotating separation zone through a third path.
- 7. A method according to claim 5further including the step of directing separated plasma constituent from the rotating separation zone through a third path that is between the first path and the second path.
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a division of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/389,935, filed Sep. 3, 1999, and entitled “Blood Separation Chamber with Constricted Interior Channel and Recessed Passage.”
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09389935 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
10339473 |
Jan 2003 |
US |