Centrifuge assembly

Claim 2

Centrifuge assembly comprising a rotor which includes a ring-like container separated to form two ends one of which is connected to a fluid input port and the other to a fluid output port, characterized by means defining a channel in said rotor, said channel having a portion of gradually increasing cross-sectional area formed solely by increasing its width, a disposable hollow container of semirigid material having two ends and received in said channel, said container in a dynamic mode conforming to said channel geometry, and a fluid collection coupled to at least one end of said channel.

Claim 3

Centrifuge assembly of claim 1 wherein said rotor includes a bowl and said means defining a channel is received in said bowl.

Claim 4

Centrifuge assembly of claims 1 or 2 characterized by a fluid collection chamber attached to at least one end of said container.

Claim 5

Centrifuge assembly according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said container has in a static mode an internal fluid separation path with constant dimensions and expanding in a dynamic mode to conform to said channel geometry and thereby increase the volume of said fluid separation path.

Claim 6

Centrifuge assembly according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said container has a static shape conforming to it dynamic shape.

Claim 7

Centrifuge assembly according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said means received in said bowl comprises a rigid insert and said channel is provided in said insert.

Claim 8

Centrifuge assembly according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said means received in said bowl comprises a rotor head and said channel is provided in said rotor head.

Claim 9

Centrifuge assembly according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said means received in said bowl comprises a rigid insert and said channel is defined between the inner wall of said rotor bowl and the outer wall of said insert.

Claim 10

Centrifuge assembly according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said channel provided in said rotor bowl has a substantially rectangular cross-section that continuously increases in area solely by an increase in width from one end to the other, and said disposable ring-like container of semi-rigid material is contained in and conforms to said channel, and a collection chamber coupled to at least one end of said container.

Claim 11

Centrifuge assembly according to claim 1, characterized by a hollow ring-like disposable container of semi- rigid material having an inlet end and an output end, said container defining a separation path therein of constant cross-sectional area in a static state, a collection chamber coupled to said container, an insert received in said bowl and having a channel portion therein of substantially rectangular cross-section with said portion thereof increasing in cross-sectional area from an inlet end to an output end, an outward spiral of an outer wall of said channel and an inward spiral of an inner wall thereof while maintaining the height of said rectangular cross-section constant, and wherein said container contained in said channel and in a dynamic state expanding to conform to the cross-sectional area of said channel and enlarge the cross-sectional area of said separation path from said inlet end to said output end.

Claim 12

Centrifuge assembly of claim 1 or 10, wherein said channel is provided in said filler piece received in said bowl.

Claim 13

Centrifuge assembly of claim 1, 10 or 11, wherein said filler piece comprises a rotor head mounted on said rotor bowl and said channel is provided in said rotor head.

Claim 14

Centrifuge assembly according to one of claims 1, 10 to 12, wherein said channel is defined between the inner wall of said rotor bowl and the outer wall of said filler piece.

Claim 15

Centrifuge assembly according to one of claims 1, 10 to 13, wherein said container has a flared end portion coupling said container to said collection chamber.

Claim 16

Centrifuge assembly according to one of claims 1, 10 to 14, wherein said container includes a partition to separate an input portion of said container from said collection chamber, a fluid inlet port in the inlet portion and output port means in said collection chamber.