Methods for Removal of Lipids from Fluids

Abstract

This invention is directed to systems and methods for removing lipids from a fluid, such as plasma, or from lipid-containing organisms. These systems contact a fluid with an extraction solvent, which causes the lipids in the fluid to separate from the fluid or causes lipids in the lipid-containing organisms to separate from the lipid-containing organism, using at least one hollow fiber contactor. The separated lipids are removed from the fluid. The extraction solvent is removed from the fluid or at least reduced to a level below a particular threshold enabling the fluid to be administered to a patient without the patient experiencing undesirable consequences. Once the fluid has been processed, the fluid may be administered to a patient who donated the fluid, to a different patient, or be stored.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . A method for removing lipids from a fluid containing lipids or lipid-containing organisms, comprising:
 contacting the fluid with a first extraction solvent in a first device and forming a first mixture comprising the fluid and the first extraction solvent, wherein at least a portion of the lipids dissolve in the first extraction solvent;   removing at least a portion of the first extraction solvent from the first mixture by contacting the first mixture with a second extraction solvent in a second device, which forms a second mixture comprising the first extraction solvent, the second extraction solvent and the fluid; and   removing at least a portion of the second extraction solvent from the second mixture using a third device.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first device is a hollow fiber contactor. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second device is a hollow fiber contactor. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the third device is a hollow fiber contactor. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 providing at least one solvent sensing device to detect the presence of the first extraction solvent in the second mixture and to detect the presence of the second extraction solvent in the second mixture after removing at least a portion of the second extraction solvent from the second mixture.   
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein removing at least a portion of the second extraction solvent from the second mixture using a third device comprises passing the second mixture through a final phase subsystem comprising a hollow fiber contactor. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the final phase subsystem is a recirculating subsystem and the method further comprises using a sensor to determine when sufficient amounts of the first and second extraction solvents have been removed from the second mixture as the second mixture passes through the recirculating subsystem. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein removing at least a portion of the second extraction solvent from the second mixture using a third device comprises contacting the second mixture with a gas. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising circulating the gas through a gas filtering loop comprising a carbon bed to remove the first and the second extraction solvents from the gas. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 providing a first pump disposed between the first extraction solvent source and the first device that transfers the first extraction solvent to the first device; and   providing a second pump disposed between the second extraction solvent source and the second device that transfers the second extraction solvent to the second device.