Two-Stage Blood Separation Chamber for Platelet Depletion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional blood separation methods for depleting platelets are inefficient, as they continuously remove buffy coat containing platelets, white blood cells, and smaller red blood cells, leading to excessive waste volume and costly replacement fluids.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that utilize a two-stage blood separation chamber to separate blood into platelet-rich plasma and red blood cells, followed by further separation into platelets and platelet-poor plasma, allowing platelets to accumulate in the second stage before being conveyed out, thereby reducing waste and optimizing platelet depletion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional single-stage blood separation is used to remove buffy coat containing platelets, then platelet depletion is achieved, but excessive waste volume is generated requiring costly replacement fluids
Solution Approach 1:
The blood separation chamber is divided into two distinct stages: a first stage for initial separation of red blood cells from platelet-rich plasma, and a second stage for further separation of platelets from platelet-poor plasma. This segmentation allows selective removal of only the necessary components (platelets) while preserving and returning other blood constituents, thereby reducing waste volume while maintaining effective platelet depletion.
2Quantity of substance
If continuous buffy coat removal is performed, then platelets are depleted from blood, but white blood cells and smaller red blood cells are also lost requiring fluid replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the specific component that needs to be removed (platelets) through the two-stage separation process. The first stage separates red blood cells which are returned to the donor, and the second stage separates platelets which are discarded while platelet-poor plasma is returned. This selective extraction minimizes loss of beneficial blood constituents like white blood cells and red blood cells that would otherwise be discarded in continuous buffy coat removal.
3Loss of substance
If two-stage separation is implemented to reduce waste, then device complexity increases with additional separation chambers and controls
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges two separation functions into a single integrated blood separation chamber with two stages, rather than using two separate chambers or devices. The first stage and second stage are positioned concentrically within the same chamber, sharing common structural elements and control systems. This merging reduces overall device complexity while achieving the waste reduction benefits of two-stage separation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively depletes platelets while minimizing waste volume and reducing the need for costly replacement fluids, improving the efficiency of platelet depletion procedures.
Implementation Method 1
Whole blood is typically separated into its constituents through centrifugation. As the whole blood is spun by the centrifuge, the heavier (greater specific gravity) components, such as red blood cells, move radially outwardly away from the center of rotation toward the outer or 'high-G' wall of the separation chamber. The lighter (lower specific gravity) components, such as plasma, migrate toward the inner or 'low-G' wall of the separation chamber.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for depleting platelets from blood. The system includes a multi-stage blood separation chamber in which blood is separated into red blood cells and platelet-rich plasma. The platelet-rich plasma is conveyed from a first stage of the chamber to a second stage, where it is separated into platelets and platelet-poor plasma. The platelet-poor plasma is conveyed out of the chamber while the platelets are allowed to accumulate in the second stage of the chamber. When a controller of the system has determined that the maximum chamber capacity of platelets has been accumulated in the second stage of the chamber, the platelets are conveyed out of the chamber to a waste container. The cycle of separating blood into its components, accumulating platelets in the chamber, and then flushing the platelets from the chamber is repeated until a target platelet concentration of the blood is achieved.