Systems and methods for processing a fluid including a suspension of biological cellular components are disclosed including a single-use kit comprising a container for the fluid; a separation device for retaining selected biological cellular components and allowing other biological cellular components of said fluid to pass therethrough; a flow path connecting the container to the separation device, the container being configured, when in use, to be positioned so that gravity tends to flow fluid through the flow path. The flow path has a segment in close proximity to the container with a configuration including a positive slope, so that biological cellular components moving through the segment are subjected to a gravitational force tending to impede movement through the flow path segment. The flow path segment preferably has a generally circular configuration, and a diameter of approximately 1.5 inches. Alternatively, the flow path segment may have a generally S-shaped configuration.

Described are embodiments that include methods and devices for separating components from multi-component fluids. Embodiments may involve use of separation vessels and movement of components into and out of separation vessels through ports. Embodiments may involve the separation of plasma from whole blood. Also described are embodiments that include methods and devices for positioning portions, e.g., loops, of disposables in medical devices. Embodiments may involve use of surfaces for automatically guiding loops to position them into a predetermined position.

Methods for controlling a spinning membrane separator so as to limit fouling of the membrane by changing the rotation rate of the spinning membrane in response to the fouling rate, while maintaining a constant outlet cellular concentration. Increasing the spinner rotation rate will increase the strength of the Taylor vortices generated within the separator by the spinning of the membrane, which should reduce fouling of the membrane. The goal of the method is to rotate the spinning membrane at the slowest rate possible without unacceptable fouling. Two specific methods to control fouling are disclosed. In a first, unidirectional method, the spin rate of the membrane is only increased in response to undesirable fouling in order to prevent the fouling from continuing. In a second, bidirectional method, the spin rate of the membrane may be either increased or decreased in response to the measured fouling rate in order to maintain the fouling rate within a desired range.

An extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus comprises a blood treatment device (2), an extracorporeal blood circuit, a blood pump (8) configured to be coupled to a blood withdrawal line (6) of the extracorporeal blood circuit. A closed fluid line (10) is connected to an inlet port (4a) and to an outlet port (4b) of a fluid chamber (4) of the blood treatment device (2), wherein the closed fluid line (10) together with the fluid chamber (4) forms a recirculation loop. An evacuation line (15) departs from the closed fluid line (10). A warming device (13) and a recirculation pump (17) are coupled or configured to be coupled to the closed fluid line (10). At least one temperature sensor (22) is operative on the extracorporeal blood circuit and it is configured to sense a blood temperature (Tb). A control unit (25), connected to the warming device (13), to the recirculation pump (17) and to the temperature sensor (22), is configured to execute the following procedure: receiving from the temperature sensor (22) at least a signal correlated to the blood temperature (Tb); adjusting the blood temperature (Tb) by controlling at least one of the warming device (13) and the recirculation pump (17).

Provided is a blood filter that resists deterioration in properties as a result of electron beam sterilization treatment performed before or during use as a blood filter, has durability, dimensional stability, and chemical resistance at excellent levels, also has biocompatibility, and resists deterioration in properties even upon the electron beam sterilization treatment. The blood filter according to the present invention includes a nonwoven fabric made of PEEK fibers. Preferably, the blood filter according to the present invention has an average pore size of 3 to 280 μm and has a porosity of 15% to 70%; and the PEEK fibers have an average fiber diameter of 10 μm or less.

An apparatus for the extracorporeal treatment of blood comprising an extracorporeal blood circuit (2), a pump (6) configured to provide fluid displacement within the extracorporeal blood circuit, and a reaction chamber (8) connected to the extracorporeal blood circuit and configured to receive blood or plasma from the circuit and treat the blood or plasma. The reaction chamber comprises a protease enzyme immobilized to a support, in which the protease enzyme is specific for, and capable of irreversibly cleaving, a human C5a present in the blood or plasma, wherein the abundance of the human C5a in the treated blood or plasma is less than that in the untreated blood or plasma. The apparatus finds utility in the extracorporeal treatment of blood from patients with inflammatory conditions, especially auto-immune disease and sepsis.

A method for automated processing of a cellular product comprising target substrate cells, the method comprising providing a separation apparatus configured to associate with a disposable sterile circuit comprising a separator in communication with the cellular product. The apparatus and disposable sterile circuit are configured to remove platelets from the cellular product to form a platelet-depleted cellular product, resuspend the platelet-depleted cellular product in media to form a resuspended platelet-depleted cellular product, receive an agent having an association with the target substrate cells of the resuspended platelet-depleted cellular product, incubate the agent with the target substrate cells over a period sufficient for the agent to bind with and/or enter the target substrate cells to form a first mixture comprising agent-target substrate cell complexes, unbound/unassociated agent, and non-target substrate cells, and remove unbound/unassociated agent to form a second mixture comprising the agent-target substrate cell complexes and non-target substrate cells.

The present system and method are useful for the removal of immune inhibitors such as soluble TNF receptors from the body fluid of cancer patients. In some embodiments, soluble TNF-Receptors 1 and 2 are selectively removed from plasma at 80% or more efficiency. In some embodiments, the system includes an immobilized capture ligand of a single chain TNFα. The system and method are useful for the treatment of different cancer types, stages and severity.

A plate for a filter press, a filter press, the use of such a filter press as well as a method of cleaning and sterilization of such a filter press. The plate for a filter press has a base body, consisting of a first material with a hardness H.sub.1 and having an outer circumferential surface, and a frame arranged on the outer circumferential surface, consisting of a second material with a hardness H.sub.2, where H.sub.2<H.sub.1, and wherein the frame has on at least one side surface at least one encircling seal protruding relative to the side surface.

Disclosed are a device and method of extracting high-concentration plasma from whole blood. The device comprises: a first syringe; a centrifugation tube that is connected to the first syringe in order to centrifuge whole blood received in the first syringe; a cap that is connected to the first syringe in order to re-centrifuge plasma collected in the first syringe by centrifugation of the whole blood; and a membrane filter comprising: a body that is cylindrical in shape and has a pair of spaced inlets to which the first syringe and a second syringe are to be respectively connected; a hollow membrane included in the body; and a first space formed between the body and the membrane and serving to collect components that passed through the membrane. According to the invention, high-concentration plasma containing a high concentration platelet is obtained without having to use a kit.