A supercentrifuge with a non-intrusive device for the extraction of solids, the supercentrifuge comprising a chamber or rotor for the clarification of liquids and a piston located within the chamber passing through it in order to discharge the solids, the piston being driven in its outward travel along the chamber by the injection of a pressurised fluid which pushes the piston, in which the supercentrifuge has a pneumatic pumping system for the generation of vacuum to bring about return movement of the piston along the chamber.

A supercentrifuge with a non-intrusive device for the extraction of solids, the supercentrifuge comprising a chamber or rotor for the clarification of liquids and a piston located within the chamber passing through it in order to discharge the solids, the piston being driven in its outward travel along the chamber by the injection of a pressurised fluid which pushes the piston, in which the supercentrifuge has a pneumatic pumping system for the generation of vacuum to bring about return movement of the piston along the chamber.

A blood washing system including a rotor defining an internal chamber and a skimmer assembly configured to move a withdrawal needle within the internal chamber. A multi-component fluid, such as a whole blood sample, can be fed into the internal chamber via a feed tube, where the rotor can be rotated to fractionate the multi-component fluid. A brake can be applied to the rotor to cease rotation or rotated at a slower speed to allow the fractions of the multi-component to settle on a bottom wall of the rotor. The withdrawal needle is moveable within the internal chamber to align an orifice of the withdrawal needle for withdrawing the liquid fractions and isolate the solid fractions. Wash fluids can be added to the internal chamber to repeat the wash cycle without removing the solid fractions. The washed solid fractions can be withdrawn via the feed tube and collected.

An apparatus for separating cell suspension material into centrate and concentrate, includes a single use structure (178, 240, 250) releasably positioned in a cavity in a solid wall rotatable centrifuge bowl (172). The bowl and portions of single use structure rotate about an axis (174). A stationary inlet feed tube (184), a centrate discharge tube (212) and a concentrate discharge tube (230) extend along the axis of the rotating single use structure. A centrate centripetal pump (208) is in fluid connection with the centrate discharge tube. A concentrate centripetal pump (216) is in fluid connection with the concentrate discharge tube. A controller (274) operates responsive to sensors (264, 270) in respective centrate and concentrate discharge lines (262, 268), to control flow rates of a concentrate pump (272) and a centrate pump (266) to produce output flows of cell concentrate and generally cell free centrate.

An apparatus for separating cell suspension material into centrate and concentrate, includes a single use structure (178, 240, 250) releasably positioned in a cavity in a solid wall rotatable centrifuge bowl (172). The bowl and portions of single use structure rotate about an axis (174). A stationary inlet feed tube (184), a centrate discharge tube (212) and a concentrate discharge tube (230) extend along the axis of the rotating single use structure. A centrate centripetal pump (208) is in fluid connection with the centrate discharge tube. A concentrate centripetal pump (216) is in fluid connection with the concentrate discharge tube. A controller (274) operates responsive to sensors (264, 270) in respective centrate and concentrate discharge lines (262, 268), to control flow rates of a concentrate pump (272) and a centrate pump (266) to produce output flows of cell concentrate and generally cell free centrate.

A solid-liquid separator for separating a solid phase from a liquid phase in a solid-liquid mixture is provided. The solid-liquid separator includes a basket and filter assembly housed coaxially within a tank such that when the basket and filter assembly rotates the liquid phase moves through the filter of the basket and filter assembly into the tank and is discharged from the solid-liquid separator. The solid phase is retained on the filter of the basket and filter assembly and travels vertically up the filter of the basket and filter assembly where it is discharged from the solid-liquid separator.

A centrifugal filtering device includes a centrifugal drum and a rotary filter. The centrifugal drum has a receiving space for accommodating the source fluid. The rotary filter rotatably mounted in the receiving space includes a filter body and a filtrate discharge pipe. The filter body includes a filter cartridge defining a filtrate-collecting space. The filtrate discharge pipe connecting the filter body is communicative in space with the filtrate-collecting space. By rotating at least one of the centrifugal drum and the rotary filter, the source fluid is driven to generate a vortex by a centrifugal force. The centrifugal force drives the source fluid to form a heavy-phase fluid hitting the centrifugal drum and a light-phase fluid approaching the filter cartridge. The light-phase fluid passes the filter cartridge and then reaches the filtrate-collecting space as a filtrate, and the filtrate is exhausted via the filtrate discharge pipe of the centrifugal filtering device.

A centrifugal filtering device includes a centrifugal drum and a rotary filter. The centrifugal drum has a receiving space for accommodating the source fluid. The rotary filter rotatably mounted in the receiving space includes a filter body and a filtrate discharge pipe. The filter body includes a filter cartridge defining a filtrate-collecting space. The filtrate discharge pipe connecting the filter body is communicative in space with the filtrate-collecting space. By rotating at least one of the centrifugal drum and the rotary filter, the source fluid is driven to generate a vortex by a centrifugal force. The centrifugal force drives the source fluid to form a heavy-phase fluid hitting the centrifugal drum and a light-phase fluid approaching the filter cartridge. The light-phase fluid passes the filter cartridge and then reaches the filtrate-collecting space as a filtrate, and the filtrate is exhausted via the filtrate discharge pipe of the centrifugal filtering device.

An apparatus for separating cell suspension material into centrate and concentrate, includes a single use structure (178, 240, 250) releasably positioned in a cavity in a solid wall rotatable centrifuge bowl (172). The bowl and portions of single use structure rotate about an axis (174). A stationary inlet feed tube (184), a centrate discharge tube (212) and a concentrate discharge tube (230) extend along the axis of the rotating single use structure. A centrate centripetal pump (208) is in fluid connection with the centrate discharge tube. A concentrate centripetal pump (216) is in fluid connection with the concentrate discharge tube. A controller (274) operates responsive to sensors (264, 270) in respective centrate and concentrate discharge lines (262, 268), to control flow rates of a concentrate pump (272) and a centrate pump (266) to produce output flows of cell concentrate and generally cell free centrate.

A centrifugal separator includes a cylindrical bowl, a core tube assembly, and an annular piston disposed around the core tube assembly and inside the inner surface of the bowl. Feed liquid is injected down the core tube assembly into the lower portion of the bowl, raising the annular piston. During a separation mode, the bowl rotates at high speed, separating solids from the feed liquid to accumulate along the inner surface of the bowl, while collecting clarified centrate as it exits the top of the bowl and through the core tube assembly. Following solids accumulation, bowl rotation is stopped and residual liquid is pumped from the bowl. In a solids discharge mode, the annular piston is urged downward along a vertical axis in response to compressed gas. The downward movement of the piston forces accumulated solids from the bowl via an opening in the lower end thereof.