A scalable, micropore, platelet rich plasma separation device.
We have designed a novel, low energy platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) separator capable of producing 50 mL of PRP in 30 min, intended for military and emergency applications. Blood flows over a 3 mm length of sieve at high rates of shear. A plasma-platelet filtrate passes through the sieve's pores while erythrocytes remain. The filtrate is flowed over a second 3 mm length of smaller-pored sieve that withdraws plasma. Bulk blood volume is maintained by returning platelet-free plasma to the erythrocyte pool, enabling a nearly complete multi-pass platelet extraction. The total percentage of platelets extracted is:θ(T)=1-exp (-V(f)(T)Φ(P)/V) where V is the original plasma volume, V ( f )(T) is the total filtered volume, and ϕ ( P ) is platelet passage ratio (filtrate concentration/bulk average concentration) taken to be constant. Maximum θ(T) occurs at maximum V ( f )(T)× ϕ ( P ) Test microsieves, 3 mm long × 3 mm wide, were used. ϕ ( P ) values measured at various filtrate flow rates (20-100 uL/min) and utilizing various filter pore sizes (1.2-3.5 μm), was as high as 150 %. Maximum V ( f )(T)× ϕ ( P ) was achieved utilizing the 3.5 um filters at the highest flow rate, 100 uL/min. Erythrocyte leakages were always below 2,000/uL, far below the allowable limit stipulated by the American Association of Blood Banking. These data imply that a 13.7 cm(2) filter area is sufficient to achieve the target separation of 50 mL of platelet concentrate in 30 min. The filtration cartridge would consist of multiple microporous strips of 3 mm width arranged in parallel so that each element would see the conditions used in the prototype experiments presented here. Other microfiltration schemes suggest no method of scaling to practical levels.
Chemical Engineering, Columbia University in the City of New York, 801 Mudd, 500 W 120th St., New York, NY, 10027, USA. marydickson@gmail.com
Mary Nora
MN
Dickson
Levy
L
Amar
Michael
M
Hill
Joseph
J
Schwartz
Edward F
EF
Leonard
D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000502:physiology; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000379:methods; D053657:Platelet-Rich Plasma