A system is provided for separating a plasma-containing fluid into separated plasma and a concentrated fluid. The system cooperates with a fluid flow circuit including a fluid separation chamber and a plasma outlet line associated therewith for removing separated plasma from the fluid separation chamber. The system includes an optical sensor assembly to monitor the contents of the plasma outlet line and produce an output indicative of the concentration of free plasma hemoglobin in the plasma outlet line. A controller of the system calculates the amount of free plasma hemoglobin in at least a portion of the concentrated fluid based at least in part on the output of the optical sensor assembly. The controller may periodically calibrate the optical sensor assembly by determining an instrument-specific correlation between optic output and free hemoglobin concentration and comparing it to experimentally determined data to ensure continued reliability of the optical sensor assembly.

A system is provided for separating a plasma-containing fluid into separated plasma and a concentrated fluid. The system cooperates with a fluid flow circuit including a fluid separation chamber and a plasma outlet line associated therewith for removing separated plasma from the fluid separation chamber. The system includes an optical sensor assembly to monitor the contents of the plasma outlet line and produce an output indicative of the concentration of free plasma hemoglobin in the plasma outlet line. A controller of the system calculates the amount of free plasma hemoglobin in at least a portion of the concentrated fluid based at least in part on the output of the optical sensor assembly. The controller may periodically calibrate the optical sensor assembly by determining an instrument-specific correlation between optic output and free hemoglobin concentration and comparing it to experimentally determined data to ensure continued reliability of the optical sensor assembly.

Apparatus and methods for concentrating platelet-rich plasma is described herein. One variation may generally comprise a tube having a length and defining a channel within and one or more ports located at a proximal end of the tube and in fluid communication with the channel. A plunger may slidably translatable within the channel while forming a seal against an inner surface of the channel and a float may have a pre-selected density and defining a concave interface surface, wherein the float is slidably contained within the channel such that the concave interface surface is in apposition to the one or more ports.

A blood filtering apparatus for recovering blood components from blood comprises an inlet for the blood; a cell filter configured for filtering a portion of the blood and retaining as a retentate a fraction of the blood containing red blood cells and platelets and passing as a filtrate a fraction of the blood, in particular mainly as plasma, containing platelets and being depleted of red blood cells. The cell filter has a pore size in a range of 2,0-3.0 micron. Further, a method and a blood product are provided.

The present invention relates to a method for separating lymphocytes and/or stem cells from whole blood in an automated blood separation system, wherein the quality of the collected lymphocytes and/or stem cells fractions is increased and the cell collection procedure is further automated by use of an optical sensor comprised in a detector device to measure turbidity and colour in the claimed method and in a cell separator, which can be used to perform the claimed method. The method of the invention is particularly useful to collect lymphocytes and/or stem cells fractions from whole blood, wherein the contamination of the collected cell fractions by platelets, red blood cells and granulocytes is reduced.

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 and systems for reducing bacterial contamination of platelets are disclosed. The methods and systems disclosed herein provide for the processing of a pre-determined volume of whole blood so as to reduce the risk that platelets separated and collected from the whole blood have a reduced risk of bacterial contamination.

A method for the re-anticoagulation of platelet rich plasma in a blood apheresis system includes priming the blood apheresis system with anticoagulant, such that a volume of anticoagulant is transferred to a PRP container. The method may then transfer the anticoagulant within the PRP container to a red blood cell container, and collect a volume of platelet rich plasma within the PRP container. The platelet rich plasma may be collected in a plurality of cycles. Between collection cycles, the method may transfer a portion of the volume of anticoagulant from the red blood cell container to the PRP container.

A method for the re-anticoagulation of platelet rich plasma in a blood apheresis system includes priming the blood apheresis system with anticoagulant, such that a volume of anticoagulant is transferred to a PRP container. The method may then transfer the anticoagulant within the PRP container to a red blood cell container, and collect a volume of platelet rich plasma within the PRP container. The platelet rich plasma may be collected in a plurality of cycles. Between collection cycles, the method may transfer a portion of the volume of anticoagulant from the red blood cell container to the PRP container.

A fluid processing cassette and sensor coupling system is disclosed, comprising a cassette comprising a cap having an opening formed by an inner cylindrical wall having a first diameter, an outer cylindrical wall having a second diameter, and a contact surface connecting the inner and outer cylindrical walls. The contact surface includes a varying diameter that decreases from the second diameter to the first diameter. A sensor post comprises a ring disposed around a cylindrical body and is positioned to engage with the contact surface of the cap to form a seal.