US3919085A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Plasma separator assembly
Assignee: Becton Dickinson and Co
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Filing: 1974-02-27
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Granted: 1975-11-11
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Expires: 1994-02-27
Abstract
Abstract A blood collection and separator assembly of the type suitable for centrifuging to separate the plasma or serum for the cellular phase of blood is disclosed. The assembly includes a collection container and a distorted spherical barrier disposed therein for sealing off the plasma or serum phase from the cellular or heavy phase of blood after centrifuging is terminated. The barrier is formed having a specific gravity heavier than the serum/plasma phase of the blood but lighter than its cellular or heavy phase. The barrier is made of an elastomeric material having means for retaining the barrier in a deformed condition prior to separating the blood collected in the assembly; and the deformable means being capable of returning the barrier toward its normal configuration to seal the barrier in the container at the plasma/serum-cellular interface after centrifuging is terminated.
Inventors
- 👤 Waldemar A Ayres
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 06:27
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01L; B01L3/00; B01L3/50; B01L3/502; B01L3/5021; B01L3/50215
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
382 words
A METHOD FOR SEPARATING BLOOD INTO ITS LIGHT PHASE OF SERUM OR PLASMA AND ITS HEAVY CELLULAR PHASE, WHICH COMPRISES, A. PROVIDING AN ASSEMBLY WHICH COMPRISES, A CONTAINER HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPEN END WHICH IS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE BLOOD FOR SUBSEQUENT SEPARATION INTO A LIGHT PHASE AND A HEAVY PHASE, A CLOSURE SEALING THE OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER, THE CLOSURE BEING FORMED OF A SELF-SEALING, ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL WHICH IS PENETRABLE BY A CANNULA THROUGH WHICH BLOOD TO BE SEPARATED MAY BE CONDUCTED INTO THE CONTAINER, A BARRIER MEMBER WHICH SAID CONTAINER, SAID BARRIER MEMBER BEING FORMED OF AN OUTER SHELL OF ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL WHICH ENCLOSES A MELTABLE MASS OF MATERIAL WHICH IS NORMALLY SOLID AT ROOM TEMPERATURES AND WHICH HAS A MELTING POINT SLIGHTLY ABOVE 98.6*F. SAID BARRIER MEMBER AND SAID MELTABLE MASS TOGETHER HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY HEAVIER THAN THE LIGHT PHASE OF BLOOD BUT LIGHTER THAN THE CELLULAR HEAVY PHASES, SAID BARRIER MEMBER HAVING A NORMAL DIMENSION AND CONFIGURATION WHEN SAID MASS IS ABOVE ITS MELTING POINT SO AS TO FORM A LIQUID-TIGHT SEAL WITH THE INNER WALLS OF SAID CONTAINER, THEREBY DIVIDING SAID CONTAINER INTO UPPER AND LOWER SEALED CHAMBERS, SAD BARRIER MEMBER HAVING A DEFORMED DIMENSION AND CONFIGURATION WHEN SAID BARRIER IS DEFORMED WHILE SAID MASS IS ABOVE ITS MELTING POINT, AND THEN ALLOWED TO RESOLIDIFY BY COOLING BELOW ITS MELTING POINT, SAID BARRIER MEMBER BEING PLACED IN SAID CONTAINER IN A DEFORMED CONFIGURATION PRIOR TO SEPARATING THE BLOOD COLLECTED IN THE ASSEMBLY WHEREBY IN SAID DEFORMED CONFIGURATION SAID SEAL IS NOT ESTABLISHED AND SAID CONTAINER DEFINES A SINGLE CHAMBER, B. INTRODUCING BLOOD INTO THE ASSEMBLY THROUGH THE SELF-SEALING, ELEASTOMERIC CLOSURE, C. SUBJECTING THE BLOOD CONTAINING ASSEMBLY TO CENTRIFUGAL FORCE WHEREBY THE HEAVY CELLULAR PHASE MOVES DOWNWARDLY IN THE CONTAINER AND THE BARRIER MEMBER MOVES TO AND STOPS AT TH LIGHT PHASE-HEAVY CELLULAR PHASE INTERFACE, AND D. HEATING THE MELTABLE MASS TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 98.6*F TO RETURN THE DEFORMED BARRIER TOWARD ITS NORMAL CONFIGURATION SO THAT THE MEMBER FORMS A LIQUID-TIGHT SEAL BETWEEN THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE BARRIER MEMBER AND THE INNER WALL OF THE CONTAINR THEREBY EFFECTING A SEALED SEPARATING OF THE LIGHT PHASE AND THE HEZVY CELLULAR PHASE OF THE BLOOD AND E. THEN RESOLIDIFYING SAID MELTABLE MASS BY COOKING BELOW 98.6*F.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
382 words
A METHOD FOR SEPARATING BLOOD INTO ITS LIGHT PHASE OF SERUM OR PLASMA AND ITS HEAVY CELLULAR PHASE, WHICH COMPRISES, A. PROVIDING AN ASSEMBLY WHICH COMPRISES, A CONTAINER HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPEN END WHICH IS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE BLOOD FOR SUBSEQUENT SEPARATION INTO A LIGHT PHASE AND A HEAVY PHASE, A CLOSURE SEALING THE OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER, THE CLOSURE BEING FORMED OF A SELF-SEALING, ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL WHICH IS PENETRABLE BY A CANNULA THROUGH WHICH BLOOD TO BE SEPARATED MAY BE CONDUCTED INTO THE CONTAINER, A BARRIER MEMBER WHICH SAID CONTAINER, SAID BARRIER MEMBER BEING FORMED OF AN OUTER SHELL OF ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL WHICH ENCLOSES A MELTABLE MASS OF MATERIAL WHICH IS NORMALLY SOLID AT ROOM TEMPERATURES AND WHICH HAS A MELTING POINT SLIGHTLY ABOVE 98.6*F. SAID BARRIER MEMBER AND SAID MELTABLE MASS TOGETHER HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY HEAVIER THAN THE LIGHT PHASE OF BLOOD BUT LIGHTER THAN THE CELLULAR HEAVY PHASES, SAID BARRIER MEMBER HAVING A NORMAL DIMENSION AND CONFIGURATION WHEN SAID MASS IS ABOVE ITS MELTING POINT SO AS TO FORM A LIQUID-TIGHT SEAL WITH THE INNER WALLS OF SAID CONTAINER, THEREBY DIVIDING SAID CONTAINER INTO UPPER AND LOWER SEALED CHAMBERS, SAD BARRIER MEMBER HAVING A DEFORMED DIMENSION AND CONFIGURATION WHEN SAID BARRIER IS DEFORMED WHILE SAID MASS IS ABOVE ITS MELTING POINT, AND THEN ALLOWED TO RESOLIDIFY BY COOLING BELOW ITS MELTING POINT, SAID BARRIER MEMBER BEING PLACED IN SAID CONTAINER IN A DEFORMED CONFIGURATION PRIOR TO SEPARATING THE BLOOD COLLECTED IN THE ASSEMBLY WHEREBY IN SAID DEFORMED CONFIGURATION SAID SEAL IS NOT ESTABLISHED AND SAID CONTAINER DEFINES A SINGLE CHAMBER, B. INTRODUCING BLOOD INTO THE ASSEMBLY THROUGH THE SELF-SEALING, ELEASTOMERIC CLOSURE, C. SUBJECTING THE BLOOD CONTAINING ASSEMBLY TO CENTRIFUGAL FORCE WHEREBY THE HEAVY CELLULAR PHASE MOVES DOWNWARDLY IN THE CONTAINER AND THE BARRIER MEMBER MOVES TO AND STOPS AT TH LIGHT PHASE-HEAVY CELLULAR PHASE INTERFACE, AND D. HEATING THE MELTABLE MASS TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 98.6*F TO RETURN THE DEFORMED BARRIER TOWARD ITS NORMAL CONFIGURATION SO THAT THE MEMBER FORMS A LIQUID-TIGHT SEAL BETWEEN THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE BARRIER MEMBER AND THE INNER WALL OF THE CONTAINR THEREBY EFFECTING A SEALED SEPARATING OF THE LIGHT PHASE AND THE HEZVY CELLULAR PHASE OF THE BLOOD AND E. THEN RESOLIDIFYING SAID MELTABLE MASS BY COOKING BELOW 98.6*F.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
250 words
A SEPARATOR ASSEMBLY CAPABLE OF SEPARATING BLOOD AINTO A PLASMA/SERUM OR LIGHT PHASE AND A CELLULAR OR HEAVY PHASE COMPRISING: A CONTAINER HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPEN END WHICH IS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE BLOOD FOR SUBSEQUENT SEPARATION INTO A LIGHT PHASE AND A HEAVY PHASE, A CLOSURE SEALING THE OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER, THE CLOSURE BEING FORMED OF A SELF-SEALING, ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL WHICH IS PENETRABLE BY A CANNULA THROUGH WHICH BLOOD TO BE SEPARATED MAY BE CONDUCTED INTO THE CONTAINER. A BARRIER MEMBER WTIN SAID CONTAINER, SAID BARRIER MEMBER BEING FORMED OF AN ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL AND HAVING A NORMAL DIMENSION AND CONFIGURATION SO AS TO FORM A SEAL WITH THE INNER WALLS OF SAID CONTAINER, THEREBY DIVIDING SAID CONTAINER INTO UPPER AND LOWER SEALED CHAMBERS, SAID BARRIER MEMBER HAVING ASSOCIATED THEREWITH MEANS FOR RETAINING THE BARRIER MEMBER IN A DEFORMED CONFIGURATION PRIOR TO SEPARATING THE BLOOD COLLECTED IN THE ASSEMBLY WHEREBY IN SAID DEFORMED CONFIGURATION SAID SEAL IS NOT ESTABLISHED AND SAID CONTAINER DEFINERS A SINGLE CHAMBER, AND SAID MEANS BEING CAPABLE OF RETURNING THE BARRIER MEMBER TO ITS NORMAL CONFIGURATION THE CONTAINER, AND WHEREIN THE BARRIER MEMER COMPRISES AN OUTER SHELL OF ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL WHICH ENCLOSES SAID MEANS AND SAID MEANS COMPRISES A MASS OF MATERIAL WHICH IS NORMALLY SOLID AT ROOM TEMPERATUES AND WHICH HAS A MELTING POINT SLIGHT ABOVE 98.6*F. AND SAID BARRIER MEMBER AND SAID MEANS TOGETHER HAVING A SEPCIFIC GRAVITY HEAVER THAN THE LIGHT PHASE OF BLOOD BUT LIGHTER THAN THE CELLULAR HEAVY PHASE.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
250 words
A SEPARATOR ASSEMBLY CAPABLE OF SEPARATING BLOOD AINTO A PLASMA/SERUM OR LIGHT PHASE AND A CELLULAR OR HEAVY PHASE COMPRISING: A CONTAINER HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPEN END WHICH IS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE BLOOD FOR SUBSEQUENT SEPARATION INTO A LIGHT PHASE AND A HEAVY PHASE, A CLOSURE SEALING THE OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER, THE CLOSURE BEING FORMED OF A SELF-SEALING, ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL WHICH IS PENETRABLE BY A CANNULA THROUGH WHICH BLOOD TO BE SEPARATED MAY BE CONDUCTED INTO THE CONTAINER. A BARRIER MEMBER WTIN SAID CONTAINER, SAID BARRIER MEMBER BEING FORMED OF AN ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL AND HAVING A NORMAL DIMENSION AND CONFIGURATION SO AS TO FORM A SEAL WITH THE INNER WALLS OF SAID CONTAINER, THEREBY DIVIDING SAID CONTAINER INTO UPPER AND LOWER SEALED CHAMBERS, SAID BARRIER MEMBER HAVING ASSOCIATED THEREWITH MEANS FOR RETAINING THE BARRIER MEMBER IN A DEFORMED CONFIGURATION PRIOR TO SEPARATING THE BLOOD COLLECTED IN THE ASSEMBLY WHEREBY IN SAID DEFORMED CONFIGURATION SAID SEAL IS NOT ESTABLISHED AND SAID CONTAINER DEFINERS A SINGLE CHAMBER, AND SAID MEANS BEING CAPABLE OF RETURNING THE BARRIER MEMBER TO ITS NORMAL CONFIGURATION THE CONTAINER, AND WHEREIN THE BARRIER MEMER COMPRISES AN OUTER SHELL OF ELASTOMERIC MATERIAL WHICH ENCLOSES SAID MEANS AND SAID MEANS COMPRISES A MASS OF MATERIAL WHICH IS NORMALLY SOLID AT ROOM TEMPERATUES AND WHICH HAS A MELTING POINT SLIGHT ABOVE 98.6*F. AND SAID BARRIER MEMBER AND SAID MEANS TOGETHER HAVING A SEPCIFIC GRAVITY HEAVER THAN THE LIGHT PHASE OF BLOOD BUT LIGHTER THAN THE CELLULAR HEAVY PHASE.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The assembly of claim 2 wherein the container is a tube having a uniform diameter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The assembly of claim 2 wherein the container is formed having one end of reduced diameter which is adapted to receive the barrier member in a sliding, sealing fit while said barrier member is in the deformed configuration.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
233 words
A separator assembly capable of separating blood into a plasma/serum or light phase and a cellular or heavy phase comprising: a container having at least one open end which is adapted to receive blood for subsequent separation into a light phase and a heavy phase; a closure sealing the open end of the container, the closure being formed of a self-sealing, elastomeric material which is penetrable by a cannula through which blood to be separated may be conducted into the container; a barrier member within said container, said barrier member being formed of an elastomeric material and having a normal dimension and configuration so as to form a seal with the inner walls of said container, thereby dividing said container into upper and lower sealed chambers; said barrier member having associated therewith means for retaining the barrier member in a deformed configuration prior to separating the blood collected in the assembly whereby in said deformed configuration said seal is not established and said container defines a single chamber; and said means being capable of returning the barrier member to its normal configuration in the container; and wherein the means is a wax having a melting point slightly above 98.6*F and is enclosed in said elastomeric barrier material; and said barrier member and said means together having a specific gravity heavier than the light phase of blood but lighter than the cellular heavy phase.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
233 words
A separator assembly capable of separating blood into a plasma/serum or light phase and a cellular or heavy phase comprising: a container having at least one open end which is adapted to receive blood for subsequent separation into a light phase and a heavy phase; a closure sealing the open end of the container, the closure being formed of a self-sealing, elastomeric material which is penetrable by a cannula through which blood to be separated may be conducted into the container; a barrier member within said container, said barrier member being formed of an elastomeric material and having a normal dimension and configuration so as to form a seal with the inner walls of said container, thereby dividing said container into upper and lower sealed chambers; said barrier member having associated therewith means for retaining the barrier member in a deformed configuration prior to separating the blood collected in the assembly whereby in said deformed configuration said seal is not established and said container defines a single chamber; and said means being capable of returning the barrier member to its normal configuration in the container; and wherein the means is a wax having a melting point slightly above 98.6*F and is enclosed in said elastomeric barrier material; and said barrier member and said means together having a specific gravity heavier than the light phase of blood but lighter than the cellular heavy phase.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-11-10 | 1979-05-12 | 1979-11-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-10 | 1983-05-12 | 1983-11-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-10 | 1987-05-12 | 1987-11-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |