Method for separating a blood material into blood components by centrifugation, and centrifugal apparatus

Claim 1

A method for separating a blood material into blood components by centrifugation, comprising the steps of: (1) providing at least two multiple blood bag units each including a plurality of flexible blood bags liquid-tightly connected to at least one leukocyte-removing filter device through flexible tubes in a predetermined order, at least one of said flexible blood bags containing a blood material, and providing a centrifugal apparatus including a rotation shaft connected to a drive motor, a rotor fixedly connected at a central portion thereof to said rotation shaft and rotatable in accordance with rotation of said rotation shaft, said rotor including a central body portion and at least two centrifuge bucket-holding extensions radially extending from said central body portion, and at least two centrifuge buckets each swingably attached to said centrifuge bucket-holding extensions of the rotor, wherein said centrifuge bucket is adapted to be turned and oriented substantially in a direction of a centrifugal force exerted when said rotor is rotated; (2) inserting at least said at least one flexible blood bag, which contains a blood material, of said plurality of flexible blood bags of each multiple blood bag unit in each centrifuge bucket while placing at least said at least one leukocyte-removing filter device of said plurality of flexible blood bags and said at least one leukocyte-removing filter device of each multiple blood bag unit outside of each centrifuge bucket, wherein said filter device is directly or indirectly secured to said rotor, or indirectly secured to said rotation shaft, and wherein a center of each filter device is located at a distance from an axis of said rotation shaft which is smaller than a distance between a pivotal axis of the turning of said centrifuge bucket and an axis of said rotation shaft at a portion thereof which has said rotor connected thereto; and (3) actuating said drive motor to rotate said rotation shaft and said rotor and perform separation of said blood material in said blood bag into blood components by centrifugation.

Claim 2

A method for separating a blood material into blood components by centrifugation, comprising the steps of: (1) providing at least two multiple blood bag units each including a plurality of flexible blood bags liquid-tightly connected to at least one leukocyte-removing filter device through flexible tubes in a predetermined order, at least one of said flexible blood bags containing a blood material, and providing a centrifugal apparatus including a rotation shaft connected to a drive motor, a rotor fixedly connected at a central portion thereof to said rotation shaft and rotatable in accordance with rotation of said rotation shaft, said rotor including a central body portion and at least two centrifuge bucket-holding extensions radially extending from said central body portion, and at least two centrifuge buckets each swingably attached to said centrifuge bucket-holding extensions of the rotor, wherein said centrifuge bucket is adapted to be turned and oriented substantially in a direction of a centrifugal force exerted when said rotor is rotated; (2) inserting at least said at least one flexible blood bag, which contains a blood material, of said plurality of flexible blood bags of each multiple blood bag unit in each centrifuge bucket while placing at least said at least one leukocyte-removing filter device of said plurality of flexible blood bags and said at least one leukocyte-removing filter device of each multiple blood bag unit outside of each centrifuge bucket, wherein said filter device is directly or indirectly secured to said rotor, or indirectly secured to said rotation shaft, and wherein a center of each filter device is located at a distance from an axis of said rotation shaft which is smaller than a distance between a pivotal axis of the turning of said centrifuge bucket and an axis of said rotation shaft at a portion thereof which has said rotor connected thereto; and (3) actuating said drive motor to rotate said rotation shaft and said rotor and perform separation of said blood material in said blood bag into blood components by centrifugation.

Claim 5

The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each filter device is directly secured to said rotor, and wherein a center of each filter device is located substantially in a plane containing a central axis passing through a bottom of said centrifuge bucket and an axis of said rotation shaft.

Claim 6

The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each filter device is indirectly secured to said rotor through a support securely attached onto said rotor, and wherein a center of each filter device is located substantially in a plane containing a central axis passing through a bottom of said centrifuge bucket and an axis of said rotation shaft.

Claim 7

The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each filter device is indirectly secured to said rotation shaft through a rotating member fixedly attached to said rotation shaft, wherein said filter device is secured to said rotating member substantially in parallel with said rotor on a side of an opening of each centrifuge bucket in a stationary state of said rotation shaft and rotatable along with said rotor, and wherein a center of each filter device is located substantially in a plane containing a central axis passing through a bottom of said centrifuge bucket and an axis of said rotation shaft.