Plasma separator

Claim 2

A SEPARATOR DEVICE FOR SEPARATING LIGHT LIQUID CONSTITUENTS FROM HEAVIER SOLID CONSTITUENTS OF MIXTURES THEREOF, COMPRISING: A HOLLOW ELONGATE MEMBER HAVING AT LEAST ONE END ADAPTED FOR RECEIVING THE MIXTURE; MEANS FOR SEALING THE OPEN ENDS OF SAID HOLLOW MEMBER; AND VALVE MEANS FIXEDLY POSITIONED IN SAID MEMBERS FOR DIVIDING THE MEMBER INTO FIRST AND SECOND SEALED CHAMBERS, SAID VALVE MEANS BEING NORMALLY CLOSED TO SEAL SAID FIRST CHAMBER AND SAID SECOND CHAMBER FROM EACH OTHER, SAID VALVE BEING RESPONSIVE TO A FORCE IN ONE DIRECTION FOR OPENING THE VALVE SO THAT THE FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OTHER WHILE THE FORCE IS

Claim 3

A separator device as described in claim 1, wherein at least one of the means for sealing is penetrable with a cannula.

Claim 4

A separator device as described in claim 1, wherein the valve means comprises: an elastomeric body having a passageway formed therethrough, said passageway including an enlarged cavity; and a sealing element disposed in said cavity.

Claim 5

A separator device as described in claim 3, wherein said cavity is partially defined by a sealing surface formed and arranged for sealing engagement with said sealing element; and the valve means additionally includes resilient means for urging said sealing element into sealing engagement with the sealing surface.

Claim 6

A separator device as described in claim 3, wherein the sealing element comprises a spherical member.

Claim 7

A separator device as described in claim 4, wherein the means for urging the sealing element into sealing engagement comprises, resilient members formed integrally with said valve, said resilient members are disposed opposite the sealing surface and partially define the cavity.

Claim 8

A separator device as described in claim 3, wherein the hollow member is tubular and the passageway includes a cylindrical portion positioned concentrically with the hollow member, and the valve means additionally includes an annular groove formed in said valve concentric with said passageway.

Claim 9

A separator device as described in claim 1, wherein the valve means includes a conical surface, adjacent the first chamber, which forms a funnel that is in communication with a passageway that extends from the center of the conical surface through the valve means.

Claim 10

A separator device as described in claim 8, additionally comprising at least one boss formed on said conical surface.

Claim 11

A separator device as described in claim 4, wherein the means for urging said sealing element into sealing engagement comprises a thin wall formed integrally with said valve, said wall partially defining the cavity and having at least one opening formed therein in communication with the passageway.

Claim 12

A separator device as described in claim 9, wherein the hollow member comprises a glass tube having one closed end and one open end.

Claim 13

A separator device for separating mixed light liquid and heavy solid constituents of blood and establishing a permanent barrier between them, including: a tubular container having at least one open end; elastomeric closure means for closing the open end and adapted to be penetrated by a pointed cannula for filling the container with blood; ELASTOMERIC barrier means fixedly located to separate the container into upper and lower chambers which are sealed apart from each other by said barrier means as hereinafter described; a passageway through the barrier means connecting the upper and lower chambers; a wall of the passageway comprising a valve seat; a resilient restraining means including at least one aperture therethrough; and movable valve closure means having a specific gravity greater than blood and adapted to be forced by centrifugal force from the upper chamber, down through the connecting passageway, past the valve seat and against the restraining means, which is maintained in a stretched elongated condition by the centrifugal force acting on the valve closure means so that the connecting passageway remains open and the light blood liquid component flows into the upper chamber and the heavier blood solid component moves into the lower chamber, following the completion of which, centrifugation is stopped and the resilient restraining means urges the movable valve closure means against the valve seat establishing a permanent seal between the first and second chambers.

Claim 14

A separator device for separating mixed light liquid and heavy solid constituents of blood and establishing a permanent barrier between them, including: a tubular container having at least one open end; elastomeric closure means for closing the open end and adapted to be penetrated by a pointed cannula for filling the container with blood; ELASTOMERIC barrier means fixedly located to separate the container into upper and lower chambers which are sealed apart from each other by said barrier means as hereinafter described; a passageway through the barrier means connecting the upper and lower chambers; a wall of the passageway comprising a valve seat; a resilient restraining means including at least one aperture therethrough; and movable valve closure means having a specific gravity greater than blood and adapted to be forced by centrifugal force from the upper chamber, down through the connecting passageway, past the valve seat and against the restraining means, which is maintained in a stretched elongated condition by the centrifugal force acting on the valve closure means so that the connecting passageway remains open and the light blood liquid component flows into the upper chamber and the heavier blood solid component moves into the lower chamber, following the completion of which, centrifugation is stopped and the resilient restraining means urges the movable valve closure means against the valve seat establishing a permanent seal between the first and second chambers.

Claim 17

A separator device for separating constituents of blood into heavier solid and lighter liquid portions, comprising: an elongated container; a centrifugally operated valve means fixedly positioned in said container for separating the container into two sealed chambers and for opening and connecting the two chambers while being centrifuged and for closing and sealing apart the chambers when centrifugation terminates.

Claim 18

A separator device for separating constituents of blood into heavier solid and lighter liquid portions, comprising: an elongated container; a centrifugally operated valve means fixedly positioned in said container for separating the container into two sealed chambers and for opening and connecting the two chambers while being centrifuged and for closing and sealing apart the chambers when centrifugation terminates.

Claim 19

A separator device for separating lighter liquid constituents of blood from the heavier solid constituents thereof which comprises: an elongated tubular container having at least one open end; and closure means for said open end of said container said closure means having no surfaces on the inner portion thereof which will contact liquid contained within said container, presenting a surface parallel to the plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said tubular container.

Claim 20

A separator device for separating lighter liquid constituents of blood from the heavier solid constituents thereof which comprises: an elongated tubular container having at least one open end; and closure means for said open end of said container said closure means having no surfaces on the inner portion thereof which will contact liquid contained within said container, presenting a surface parallel to the plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said tubular container.

Claim 21

As in claim 15, wherein the fluid-contacting surfaces of the closure means are made of a hydrophobic material.

Claim 22

A device as in claim 16, wherein said closure has at least one air channel in the lower sidewall contacting the interior walls of said container, said channel having an upper surface which forms an angle of less than 90* relative to the adjacent container wall of said tubular container.

Claim 23

As in claim 16, wherein the said surfaces are made of a hydrophobic material.

Claim 26

The method of separation according to claim 19 wherein said closure has a fluid-contacting surface adjacent the container inner wall contacting portion which forms an angle greater than 5* relative to the adjacent inner wall of the container.

Claim 27

The method of separation according to claim 19 wherein said closure has a skirt portion extending toward the opposite end of the container and has an edge portion at the lower end of said skirt which forms an angle less than 120* with the adjacent inner wall of said container.

Claim 28

A method according to claim 19 wherein the closure member has at least one air channel in the lower sidewall contacting the interior walls of said container, said channel having an upper surface which forms an angle of less than 90* relative to the adjacent container wall of said tubular container.

Claim 31

A method as described in claim 23, wherein the step of sealing the barrier passageway includes the step of subjecting a force activated sealing means to a predetermined force sufficient to activate the sealing means.

Claim 36

A separator device for separating blood into its constituents of light liquid phase and heavier solid phase and for establishing a permanent barrier between the phases, including: a tubular container closed at both ends containing the blood to be separated; barrier means fixEdly located for separating the container into first and second chambers which are sealed apart from each other as hereinafter described; a passageway through the barrier means connecting the first and second chambers; and force activated sealing means for sealing the passageway through the barrier means upon application of a predetermined force.

Claim 37

A separator device for separating blood into its constituents of light liquid phase and heavier solid phase and for establishing a permanent barrier between the phases, including: a tubular container closed at both ends containing the blood to be separated; barrier means fixEdly located for separating the container into first and second chambers which are sealed apart from each other as hereinafter described; a passageway through the barrier means connecting the first and second chambers; and force activated sealing means for sealing the passageway through the barrier means upon application of a predetermined force.

Claim 38

A separator device as described in claim 27, wherein the barrier means is formed of an elastomeric material and the sealing means comprises a closure member having specific gravity greater than blood and adapted to be forced by a predetermined centrifugal force from the first chamber into the passageway to thereby permanently seal and separate the first and second chambers.

Claim 39

A separator device for separating mixed light liquid phase and heavy solid phase constituents of blood and establishing a permanent barrier between said phases, including: a tubular container closed at both ends containing the blood to be separated; elastomeric barrier means fixedly located to separate the container into first and second chambers which are sealed apart from each other by said barrier as hereinafter described; a passageway through the barrier means connecting the first and second chambers; a wall of the passageway comprising a valve seat; and movable valve closure means within the container having a specific gravity greater than blood for coupling with the valve seat to seal off the passageway and provide a permanent barrier seal isolating the first and second chambers.

Claim 40

A separator device for separating mixed light liquid phase and heavy solid phase constituents of blood and establishing a permanent barrier between said phases, including: a tubular container closed at both ends containing the blood to be separated; elastomeric barrier means fixedly located to separate the container into first and second chambers which are sealed apart from each other by said barrier as hereinafter described; a passageway through the barrier means connecting the first and second chambers; a wall of the passageway comprising a valve seat; and movable valve closure means within the container having a specific gravity greater than blood for coupling with the valve seat to seal off the passageway and provide a permanent barrier seal isolating the first and second chambers.