Method for separating a blood material into blood components by

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for separating a blood material into blood components by centrifugation, wherein when a multiple blood bag unit including a plurality of flexible blood bags (at least one of the flexible blood bags containing a blood material) liquid-tightly connected to at least one leukocyte-removing filter device through flexible tubes in a predetermined order is accommodated in a centrifuge bucket, at least the blood material-containing flexible blood bag or bags are inserted in the centrifuge bucket while placing at least the leukocyte-removing filter device outside of the centrifuge bucket, wherein the leukocyte-removing filter device is directly or indirectly secured relative to the rotor and a center of the filter device is located at a distance from an axis of the rotation shaft which is smaller than a distance between a pivotal axis of the turning of the centrifuge bucket and an axis of the rotation shaft at a portion thereof which has the rotor connected thereto. A centrifugal apparatus for practicing the method is also disclosed. By the method and apparatus of the present invention, the centrifugal force to be sustained by the filter device is reduced to a minimum due to the location of the filter device at a reduced distance from the rotation shaft, so that the danger of damaging or adversely affecting the filter device due to the centrifugal force is extremely reduced or eliminated.