Centrifuge system for separating cells in suspension

Abstract

A method and apparatus for separation of cells from suspension using single use components that include a flexible membrane mounted on a rigid frame that is supported within a multiple use rigid centrifuge bowl. Such single use components include a rotatable core which is rotated at a sufficiently high angular velocity to separate cell concentrate and centrate. Cell centrate and/or cell concentrate is removed from the interior of the core by a centripetal pump having a pair of curved volute passages. The volute passages are curved toward the direction of rotation of the core.

1 . Apparatus comprising:
 a centripetal pump configured for use in a centrifuge operative to separate cell suspension into cell centrate and concentrate, wherein the centrifuge includes a rotatable fluid containing core, wherein the core is rotatable about an axis in a rotational direction,   the centripetal pump comprising:   a disk-shaped body, wherein the disk-shaped body is concentric with the axis,   wherein the disk-shaped body includes
 a first plate and a second plate, 
 an annular periphery, wherein the annular periphery is exposed to one of either centrate or concentrate within the core, and wherein the annular periphery includes a an annular wall with an inlet opening, 
 an annular outlet opening, wherein the outlet opening is coaxial with the axis, 
 an annular collection chamber, wherein the annular collection chamber extends radially outward of the outlet opening and vertically intermediate of the first plate and the second plate, 
 a curved volute passage, wherein the curved volute passage extends within the body and radially between the inlet opening and the annular collection chamber, 
 wherein the volute passage is bounded horizontally by opposed vertically extending bounding walls, wherein one bounding wall extends transversely of the rotational direction at the inlet opening and faces toward the rotational direction, and wherein the one bounding wall is curved continuously toward the rotational direction within the body radially between the annular collection chamber and the inlet opening. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1   wherein both bounding walls are curved toward the rotational direction.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1   wherein the volute passage has a cross-sectional area, wherein the cross-sectional area is generally constant from the inlet to the collection chamber.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1   wherein the body includes a pair of generally opposed volute passages.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4   wherein the volute passages are bounded vertically by respective upper and lower walls,   wherein the first plate includes the upper walls and the second plate includes the lower walls.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5   wherein the first plate and the second plate are held in releasible engagement by at least one fastener.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 5   wherein one of the first plate and the second plate includes recesses that bound three sides of each passage and two sides of the annular collection chamber, and wherein the other of the first plate and the second plate bounds one side of each passage and one side of the annular collection chamber.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7   wherein the other of the first plate and the second plate includes a planar circular face, and wherein the planar circular face vertically bounds the one side of each of the volute passages and the one side of the annular collection chamber.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 7   wherein the inlets of the volute passages of the centripetal pump are exposed to liquid cell centrate, and wherein the pump is operative to pump cell centrate from the core.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 7   wherein the inlets of the volute passages are exposed to cell concentrate in the core, and wherein the pump is operative to pump cell concentrate from the core.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  and further comprising:
 the core, 
 a further centripetal pump, wherein the further centripetal pump includes
 a further disk-shaped body positioned coaxial with the axis, 
 wherein the further disk-shaped body includes a further first plate and a further second plate, and a further annular wall including a further annular periphery, wherein the further annular wall includes a further inlet opening, 
 a further annular outlet opening, 
 a further annular collection chamber that extends radially outward from the further annular outlet opening and vertically between the further first plate and the further second plate, 
 a further curved volute passage, wherein the further curved volute passage extends radially within the further body between the further inlet opening and the further annular collection chamber, and wherein the further volute passage includes one further bounding wall, wherein the further bounding wall extends transversely of the rotational direction at the further inlet opening and faces toward the rotational direction, 
 and wherein the one further bounding wall is curved continuously toward the rotational direction within the further body between the further annular collection chamber and the further inlet opening. 
 
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 11   wherein the annular periphery of the centripetal pump has a first diameter, and wherein the further centripetal pump has an annular periphery of a second diameter, and wherein the second diameter is greater than the first diameter.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the first diameter and the second diameter have relative sizes that are operative to avoid waves in centrate adjacent the inlet opening of the centripetal pump. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the further centripetal pump is disposed in the core vertically above the centripetal pump. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  and further comprising the core including the cell suspension, wherein the inlet of the volute passage of the centripetal pump is exposed to centrate, wherein the pump is operative to pump centrate from the core. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 1   and further comprising the core including the cell suspension,   wherein the inlet of the volute passage is exposed to concentrate in the core, wherein the pump is operative to pump concentrate from the core.   
     
     
         18 . Apparatus comprising:
 a centripetal pump configured for use in a centrifuge operative to separate cell suspension into cell centrate and concentrate, wherein the centrifuge includes a rotatable fluid containing core, wherein the core is rotatable about a vertical axis in a rotational direction,   the centripetal pump comprising:   a disk-shaped body, wherein the disk-shaped body is concentric with the axis,   wherein the disk-shaped body includes
 an annular periphery, wherein the annular periphery is exposed to one of either centrate or concentrate within the core, and wherein the annular periphery includes a vertically extending peripheral wall with an inlet opening, 
 an annular outlet opening, wherein the outlet opening is coaxial with the axis, 
 an annular collection chamber, wherein the annular collection chamber extends radially outward from the annular outlet opening and within the disk-shaped body, 
 a curved volute passage, wherein the curved volute passage extends within the body and radially intermediate of the inlet opening and the annular collection chamber, 
 wherein the volute passage is bounded horizontally by a vertically extending bounding wall, wherein the vertically extending bounding wall extends transversely of the peripheral wall at the inlet opening and in facing relation of the rotational direction, and wherein the vertically extending bounding wall is curved toward the rotational direction within the disk-shaped body. 
   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 18   wherein the volute passage is bounded by a pair of vertically extending bounding walls, wherein both bounding walls are continuously curved toward the rotational direction radially between the annular collection chamber and the inlet opening.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 18   wherein the body includes a plurality of angularly disposed curved volute passages.   
     
     
         21 . Apparatus comprising:
 a centripetal pump configured for use in a centrifuge operative to separate cell suspension into cell centrate and concentrate, wherein the centrifuge includes a rotatable fluid containing core, wherein the core is rotatable about an axis in a rotational direction,   the centripetal pump comprising:   a disk-shaped body, wherein the disk-shaped body is concentric with the axis,
 wherein the disk-shaped body includes an annular periphery, wherein the annular periphery is exposed to centrate within the core, and wherein the annular periphery includes an inlet opening, 
 an annular outlet opening, wherein the annular outlet opening is coaxial with the axis, 
 an annular collection chamber, wherein the annular collection chamber extends within the body and radially outward of the annular outlet opening, 
 a passage, wherein the passage extends within the body and radially between the inlet opening and the annular collection chamber, 
   wherein the centripetal pump is operative to pump centrate from the core,   a further centripetal pump axially disposed from the centripetal pump within the core, the further centripetal pump comprising:   a further disk-shaped body, wherein the further disk-shaped body is concentric with the axis,   wherein the further disk-shaped body includes a further annular periphery, wherein the further annular periphery is exposed to concentrate in the core, and wherein the further annular periphery includes a further inlet opening,
 a further annular outlet opening, wherein the further annular outlet opening is coaxial with the axis, 
 a further annular collection chamber, wherein the further annular collection chamber extends within the further body radially outward of the further annular outlet opening, 
 a further passage, wherein the further passage extends within the further body and radially between the further inlet opening and the further annular collection chamber, 
 wherein the further centripetal pump is operative to pump concentrate from the core. 
   
     
     
         22 . Apparatus comprising:
 a centripetal pump in a centrifuge that separates cell suspension into cell centrate and cell concentrate, wherein the centrifuge includes a rotatable suspension containing core, wherein the core is rotatable about an axis in a rotational direction,   the centripetal pump comprising:   a disk-shaped body, wherein the disk-shaped body is concentric with the axis,   wherein the disk-shaped body   includes an annular periphery, wherein the annular periphery is exposed to one of either the cell centrate or the cell concentrate within the core, and wherein the annular periphery includes a wall with an inlet opening into which one of either the cell centrate or concentrate flows,
 an annular outlet opening, wherein the annular outlet opening is coaxial with the axis, 
 an annular collection chamber, wherein the annular collection chamber extends horizontally within the disk-shaped body, fluidly between and radially outward of the annular outlet opening, 
 a curved volute passage, wherein the curved volute passage extends radially within the body and fluidly between the inlet opening and the annular collection chamber, 
 wherein the volute passage is bounded horizontally by opposed vertically extending bounding walls, and wherein one bounding wall faces the rotational direction at the inlet opening and is curved within the body to extend further toward the rotational direction from the annular collection chamber with increased radial distance from the axis. 
   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus according to  claim 22   wherein the volute passage has a cross-sectional area, wherein the cross-sectional area is generally constant within the body from the inlet to the annular collection chamber.   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus according to  claim 22   and further including the core housing the cell suspension,   wherein the inlet of the volute passage is exposed to the cell concentrate in the core, and wherein the centripetal pump is operative to pump the cell concentrate from the core.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus according to  claim 21   wherein the annular periphery of the disk-shaped body includes a solid annular wall that extends parallel to the axis, wherein a pair of angularly separated inlet openings extend through the solid annular wall,   wherein the disk-shaped body further includes a pair of curved generally opposed volute passages, wherein each curved volute passage extends within the body and radially between a respective inlet opening and the annular collection chamber,   wherein each volute passage is bounded horizontally by opposed vertically extending bounding walls, wherein each bounding wall is curved toward the rotational direction,   wherein the further annular periphery of the further disk-shaped body includes a further solid annular wall that extends parallel to the axis, wherein a pair of angularly disposed further inlet openings extend through the further solid annular wall,   wherein the further disk-shaped body further includes a pair of further curved volute passages, wherein each further curved volute passage extends within the further body between a respective further inlet opening and the further annular collection chamber, wherein each further volute passage is bounded horizontally by a pair of opposed further vertically extending bounding walls, wherein each further bounding wall is curved toward the rotational direction.   
     
     
         26 . The apparatus according to  claim 25   and further comprising the core and the cell suspension   wherein the annular periphery of the centripetal pump has a first diameter, and   wherein the annular periphery of the further centripetal pump has a second diameter,   wherein the first and second diameter have relative sizes that are operative to avoid waves in centrate adjacent the inlet openings of the centripetal pump.   
     
     
         27 . The apparatus according to  claim 26   wherein the further centripetal pump is disposed in the core vertically above the centripetal pump,   wherein the further centripetal pump is operative to pump cell concentrate from the core and the centripetal pump is operative to pump cell centrate from the core.   
     
     
         28 . The apparatus according to  claim 21   wherein the disk-shaped body comprises a first plate and a second plate,   wherein the annular periphery of the disk-shaped body includes a solid annular peripheral wall that extends parallel to the axis, wherein the peripheral wall includes an inlet opening,   a curved volute passage, wherein the curved volute passage extends within the body and radially intermediate of the inlet opening and the annular collection chamber,   wherein the volute passage is bounded horizontally by a vertically extending bounding wall, wherein the vertically extending bounding wall extends transversely of the peripheral wall at the inlet opening and in facing relation of the rotational direction, and wherein the vertically extending bounding wall is curved toward the rotational direction within the disk-shaped body.