Method and apparatus for multiphase fluid collection and separation

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING A MULTIPHASE FLUID SUCH AS BLOOD AND FOR SEPARATING AND PARTITIONING SAID FLUID INTO A LIGHTER PHASE AND A HEAVIER PHASE COMPRISING: A. A CONTAINER HAVING AN OPEN END AND A CLOSED END; B. GEL-LIKE MATERIAL INITIALLY POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID CONTAINER CLOSED END, SAID GEL-LIKE MATERIAL BEING THIXOTROPIC AND CHEMICALLY INERT TO THE LIGHTER AND HEAVIER PHASE AND HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY BETWEEN THE SPECIFIC GRAVITIES OF SAID HEAVIER AND LIGHTER PHASES; AND C. ENERGIZER MEANS HAVING WALL PROTIONS INITIALLY PARTIALLY SUBMERGED IN SAID GEL-LIKE MATERIAL FOR MAINTAINING THE GEL-LIKE MATERIAL IN SAID INITIAL POSITION PRIOR TO CENTRIFUGATION AND CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED FOR INFLUENCING SAID GEL-LIKE MATERIAL TO FLOW, UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE, ALONG WALL PORTIONS OF SAID CONTAINER, AND SAID ENERGIZER MEANS HAVING A SPEDIFIC GRAVITY GREATER THAN THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SAID GEL-LIKE MATERIAL AND BEING POSITIONED WITH AT LEAST SOME WALL PORTIONS THEREOF IN SPACEDAPART RELATIONSHIP FROM WALL PORTIONS OF SAID CONTAINER.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING A MULTIPHASE FLUID SUCH AS BLOOD AND FOR SEPARATING AND PARTITIONING SAID FLUID INTO A LIGHTER PHASE AND A HEAVIER PHASE COMPRISING: A. A CONTAINER HAVING AN OPEN END AND A CLOSED END; B. GEL-LIKE MATERIAL INITIALLY POSITIONED ADJACENT SAID CONTAINER CLOSED END, SAID GEL-LIKE MATERIAL BEING THIXOTROPIC AND CHEMICALLY INERT TO THE LIGHTER AND HEAVIER PHASE AND HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY BETWEEN THE SPECIFIC GRAVITIES OF SAID HEAVIER AND LIGHTER PHASES; AND C. ENERGIZER MEANS HAVING WALL PROTIONS INITIALLY PARTIALLY SUBMERGED IN SAID GEL-LIKE MATERIAL FOR MAINTAINING THE GEL-LIKE MATERIAL IN SAID INITIAL POSITION PRIOR TO CENTRIFUGATION AND CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED FOR INFLUENCING SAID GEL-LIKE MATERIAL TO FLOW, UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE, ALONG WALL PORTIONS OF SAID CONTAINER, AND SAID ENERGIZER MEANS HAVING A SPEDIFIC GRAVITY GREATER THAN THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SAID GEL-LIKE MATERIAL AND BEING POSITIONED WITH AT LEAST SOME WALL PORTIONS THEREOF IN SPACEDAPART RELATIONSHIP FROM WALL PORTIONS OF SAID CONTAINER.

Claim 9

A method of centrifugally separating blood into a serum phase and a clotted red cell phase within a container provided with gel-like material and an energizer member constructed and arranged to facilitate movement of said gel-like material upon application of centrifugal force; comprising the steps of providing an inner bottom portion of a container with a chemically inert, thixotropic gel-like material having a specific gravity between the specific gravities of the clotted red cell phase and the serum phase; positioning an energizer member having a specific gravity greater than that of said gel-like material within a surface portion of said gel-like material and with at least some wall portions thereof in spaced-apart relationship from wall portions of said container; supplying the container with blood; coaGulating the blood to form a clotted red cell phase and a serum phase; applying centrifugal force to move both the clotted red cell phase and said energizer member toward said container bottom, and through the movement of said energizer member to facilitate movement of said gel-like material between said energizer member and said container wall portions upwardly along wall portions of said container to a position between the clotted red cell phase and the serum phase; and continuing to apply centrifugal force to completely separate the clotted red cell and serum phases and to form a transversely continuous barrier of gel-like material between said separated phases.

Claim 10

A method of centrifugally separating blood into a serum phase and a clotted red cell phase within a container provided with gel-like material and an energizer member constructed and arranged to facilitate movement of said gel-like material upon application of centrifugal force; comprising the steps of providing an inner bottom portion of a container with a chemically inert, thixotropic gel-like material having a specific gravity between the specific gravities of the clotted red cell phase and the serum phase; positioning an energizer member having a specific gravity greater than that of said gel-like material within a surface portion of said gel-like material and with at least some wall portions thereof in spaced-apart relationship from wall portions of said container; supplying the container with blood; coaGulating the blood to form a clotted red cell phase and a serum phase; applying centrifugal force to move both the clotted red cell phase and said energizer member toward said container bottom, and through the movement of said energizer member to facilitate movement of said gel-like material between said energizer member and said container wall portions upwardly along wall portions of said container to a position between the clotted red cell phase and the serum phase; and continuing to apply centrifugal force to completely separate the clotted red cell and serum phases and to form a transversely continuous barrier of gel-like material between said separated phases.

Claim 11

A method of separating and partitioning a multiphase fluid into a lighter first phase and a heavier second phase within a container having gel-like material and energizer means having walls and being constructed and arranged for promoting the flow of said gel-like material from an end portion of said container during centrifugation, comprising the steps of depositing chemically inert, thixotropic gel-like material having a specific gravity intermediate the specific gravities of said phases at a first position within said container adjacent said end portion, partially submerging the energizer means within said gel-like material and with portions of the walls thereof in spaced-apart relationship from sidewall portions of said container for maintaining said gel-like material at said first position, said energizer means further having a specific gravity greater than the specific gravity of said gel-like material, providing said container with said multiphase fluid, centrifugally forcing said energizer means into said gel-like material for initiating and directing the flow of said gel-like material between said energizer means and sidewall portions of said container, and centrifugally forcing said second phase toward said energizer means to separate said second phase from said first phase and to urge a substantial portion of said gel-like material from said initial position and along sidewall portions of said container to a second position between said fluid and second phases of said multiphase fluid.

Claim 12

A method of separating and partitioning a multiphase fluid into a lighter first phase and a heavier second phase within a container having gel-like material and energizer means having walls and being constructed and arranged for promoting the flow of said gel-like material from an end portion of said container during centrifugation, comprising the steps of depositing chemically inert, thixotropic gel-like material having a specific gravity intermediate the specific gravities of said phases at a first position within said container adjacent said end portion, partially submerging the energizer means within said gel-like material and with portions of the walls thereof in spaced-apart relationship from sidewall portions of said container for maintaining said gel-like material at said first position, said energizer means further having a specific gravity greater than the specific gravity of said gel-like material, providing said container with said multiphase fluid, centrifugally forcing said energizer means into said gel-like material for initiating and directing the flow of said gel-like material between said energizer means and sidewall portions of said container, and centrifugally forcing said second phase toward said energizer means to separate said second phase from said first phase and to urge a substantial portion of said gel-like material from said initial position and along sidewall portions of said container to a second position between said fluid and second phases of said multiphase fluid.

Claim 13

A method of collecting blood and separating and partitioning the blood into a clotted red cell phase and a serum phase within a container having gel-like material and an energizer member constructed and arranged to displace said gel-like material from an end portion of said container upon centrifugation, comprising the steps of initially positioning chemically inert, thixotropic gel-like material having a specific gravity between that of said phases at a first position within said container adjacent said end portion, partially submerging an energizer member within the gel-like material with wall portions thereof in a spaced-apart relationship from sidewall portions of said container for maintaining the gel-like material at said initial position, evacuating and sealing the container, supplying the container with blood, coagulating the blood to form a clotted red cell phase and a serum phase, centrifugally forcing the energizer member into the gel-like material to displace a substantial portion of the gel-like material along sidewall portions of said container, centrifugally separating the clotted red cell and serum phases, and flowing the gel-like material to a second position between the red cell and serum phases to form a transversely continuous partition of gel-like material between the clotted red cell and serum phases.

Claim 14

A method of collecting blood and separating and partitioning the blood into a clotted red cell phase and a serum phase within a container having gel-like material and an energizer member constructed and arranged to displace said gel-like material from an end portion of said container upon centrifugation, comprising the steps of initially positioning chemically inert, thixotropic gel-like material having a specific gravity between that of said phases at a first position within said container adjacent said end portion, partially submerging an energizer member within the gel-like material with wall portions thereof in a spaced-apart relationship from sidewall portions of said container for maintaining the gel-like material at said initial position, evacuating and sealing the container, supplying the container with blood, coagulating the blood to form a clotted red cell phase and a serum phase, centrifugally forcing the energizer member into the gel-like material to displace a substantial portion of the gel-like material along sidewall portions of said container, centrifugally separating the clotted red cell and serum phases, and flowing the gel-like material to a second position between the red cell and serum phases to form a transversely continuous partition of gel-like material between the clotted red cell and serum phases.