Baxter International Inc.

Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc.

John Foley

Arnold Bilstad

Jeffrey E. Miripol

William R. Bratten

Dean Glash

Dean M Glash

John T Foley

Arnold C Bilstad

Jeffrey E Miripol

T Michael Dennehey

David E Cerny

Indrajit T Patel

Robert J Kruger

Richard L West

Steven L Olson

Richard I Brown

Sidney T Smith

David V Bacehowski

William R Bratten

Joseph C West, Jr

Richard L Afflerbaugh

A stress-bearing umbilicus for conveying fluid between a stationary body and a rotating body comprises an umbilicus body made from an extruded first polyester elastomer material having flexibility. A support block, made from a second polyester elastomer material, is over-molded about at least one region of the umbilicus body. The second polyester elastomer material has flexibility that is greater than the flexibility of the first polyester elastomer material. Surface energy of the region between the support block and the umbilicus body is increased before over-molding to prevent delamination and peeling.

Stress-bearing umbilicus for a compact centrifuge

An aseptic/sterile fluid connection between two containers is formed by radio frequency sealing together portions of transfer regions of two containers. Each transfer region has a layer of a relatively high melt temperature material such as a rubber or elastomer positioned between two outer container walls made of a flexible thermoplastic, for example polyvinyl chloride. The transfer regions are placed in registry, and the radio frequency welding fuses together portions of adjacent container outer walls and forms a fluid opening therethrough.

Sterile/aseptic connector

An umbilicus conveys fluid between a stationary body and a rotating body in a small, compact operating environment. The umbilicus comprises an elongated body including a proximal end, a distal end, and a middle region between the proximal and distal ends. A first support block is attached to the proximal end. A second support block is attached to the distal end. The first support block includes a strain relief sleeve. The umbilicus is otherwise free of any other strain relief sleeve. A thrust bearing member in the middle region spaced apart from the strain relief sleeve and the distal end. The umbilicus is otherwise free of any other thrust bearing member. The thrust bearing member has an inner annular body, an outer annular body about the inner annular body, and an array of ball bearings between the inner and outer annular bodies. The ball bearings support the inner annular body for rotation relative to the outer annular body.

Disclosed is an improved apparatus and method for collecting, freezing and removing a liquid such as blood or blood components, and particularly blood plasma. In accordance with the present invention, a container (16) for blood plasma is defined by a pair of substantially flat, flexible opposing sidewalls (40, 42) which are substantially adjacent when the container is empty. The sidewalls are peripherally sealed together to define an interior compartment, and the side seals (44, 46) converge toward one end (48) of the container. After a selected quantity of plasma is collected in the container, the filled container is formed and frozen in a wedge-shaped configuration, with the opposed sidewalls (40,42) converging toward the end of the container. An air space (82) may be provided in the top of the container so that a knife (86) may be easily inserted into the frozen container without contacting the frozen liquid (88) therein. Slight warming of the container then permits the frozen contents to be removed efficiently as a single slug. Also disclosed is a form (60) for shaping a container as described above into a wedge-shape for freezing. The form includes a pair of rigid, perforated walls (62, 66) hinged together at one end (64) and configured to receive a container therebetween. The rigid walls of the form are disposed to shape the container walls into a converging configuration during freezing.

Apparatus and method for collecting and freezing blood plasma

A thin film or layer of white blood cells, such as the contaminating white cells in a platelet concentrate, is irradiated with ultraviolet radiation predominately of a wavelength of 280 to 320 nanometers, and preferably at an intensity of 4 to 20 milliwatts per square cm. to provide a total energy exposure of typically 800 to 20,000 millijoules per square cm. of ultraviolet radiation. The white blood cells so produced substantially lose their capability to set off an immune reaction in an alloimmunized patient. The white blood cells may preferably be placed into such film in a flat, flexible bag made of poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) plastic, with the flat, flexible bag being stretched in a direction normal to the path of ultraviolet radiation. Novel irradiating devices are also disclosed.

Irradiation of blood products

A thin film of white blood cells is irradiated with ultraviolet radiation predominately of a wavelength of 280 to 320 nanometers, and preferably at an intensity of 4 to 15 milliwatts per square cm. At such a radiation intensity it is not necessary to agitate the thin film of white blood cells to accomplish the purposes of this invention. The white blood cells so processed substantially lose their capability to set off an immune reaction in an alloimmunized patient. The white blood cells may preferably be placed into such film in a flat, flexible bag made of poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) plastic, with the flat, flexible bag being stretched in a direction normal to the path of ultraviolet radiation.

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McHenry, IL, United States of America

Dean M Glash