JP7473176B2 - Cord blood bag set and cord blood centrifuge - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a bag set and a centrifuge used to collect umbilical cord blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood.

Currently, umbilical cord blood stem cells are collected using the following procedure. First, umbilical cord blood is collected. There are two methods for collecting umbilical cord blood. One method involves collection before birth when the placenta is still in the uterus, and the other involves collection after birth, after the placenta has been removed. In either method, the fetus is separated from the umbilical cord at the time of birth, and the umbilical cord is clamped to stop bleeding. The needle at the tip of the blood collection tube of the blood collection bag is inserted into the umbilical vein, slightly closer to the placenta than the clamped position. Prior to the puncture, the area around the puncture site is wiped with sterile gauze and a disinfectant cotton ball and thoroughly disinfected.

Next, the cord blood is transferred from the umbilical cord through a blood collection tube to a blood collection bag. At this time, the blood collection bag is held lower than the umbilical cord, and the cord blood is introduced into the blood collection bag by gravity. An anticoagulant is already added to the blood collection bag.

After blood flow has stopped, the blood collection tube is clamped. The needle at the end of the blood collection tube is then removed from the umbilical vein and a protector is attached. The blood remaining in the blood collection tube is manipulated with roller pliers and placed into a blood collection bag. The blood collection tube is then heat sealed near the blood collection bag and separated.

The amount of erythrocyte sedimenting agent to be added is determined as follows: The total weight of the blood collection bag is measured, and the known tare weight of the blood collection bag and the weight of the anticoagulant are subtracted from the total weight to determine the amount of blood collected, and the amount of erythrocyte sedimenting agent to be added is determined based on the amount of blood collected. The determined amount of erythrocyte sedimenting agent to be added is then injected into the blood collection bag and stirred to mix.

The blood collection bag is placed in the centrifuge bucket of the centrifuge. To protect the blood collection bag, a spacer is used to adjust the thickness uniformly. The bucket is attached to the specified position of the centrifuge. The centrifuge is then operated to centrifuge the cord blood in the blood collection bag at a low centrifugal force (centrifugal acceleration) of, for example, about 50 G for a specified time, separating it into layers. Red blood cells settle in the blood collection bag, forming a precipitated layer of red blood cells.

Be careful not to disturb the sediment layer of red blood cells in the blood collection bag, move it to a clean bench and set it on the separation stand. Prepare a separation bag separately from the blood collection bag, insert the needle at the tip of the separation bag's transfer tube into the blood collection bag, and connect the two bags via the transfer tube.

The separation stand is manually operated to push the white blood cells and plasma above the sedimented red blood cell layer out of the blood collection bag and transfer them to the separation bag through the transfer tube. At this time, the upper layer of the sedimented red blood cell layer in the blood collection bag contains umbilical cord blood stem cells, so several milliliters of these are also transferred to the separation bag. The amount transferred varies depending on the handling conditions and is determined by each facility. After transfer to the separation bag, the clamp on the transfer tube is closed, the transfer tube is heat sealed on the separation bag side, and the blood collection bag is separated.

Weigh the separation bag to determine the amount of plasma removed.

The separation bag is placed in the bucket. To protect the separation bag, a spacer is used to adjust the thickness uniformly. The bucket is attached to the designated position of the centrifuge. The centrifuge is then operated to centrifuge the cord blood components in the separation bag at a high centrifugal force of, for example, about 400 G for a designated period of time, separating the components in the separation bag into a white blood cell layer (lower layer) and a plasma layer (upper layer). Cord blood stem cells are contained in the white blood cell layer.

The separation bag is then set back on the separation stand. A plasma bag is connected to the separation bag via another transfer tube. The separation stand is manually operated to push out and transfer the plasma layer of the determined amount of removed plasma from the separation bag while measuring its weight, leaving an appropriate amount of plasma in the separation bag. After the transfer is completed, the clamp on the transfer tube is closed, the transfer tube is heat sealed on the separation bag side, and the plasma bag is separated. Thus, a white blood cell layer containing umbilical cord blood stem cells is secured in the separation bag.

For freezing and preserving, the weight of the separation bag is measured again, and an appropriate amount of cryoprotectant is added to the separation bag by injection and mixed. The freezing bag is further connected to the separation bag via another transfer tube, and the contents in the separation bag are transferred to the freezing bag by gravity, or a syringe is connected to the separation bag, and the contents are aspirated by the syringe and injected into the freezing bag, thereby completing preparation for freezing and preserving.

As described above, most of the steps in the process of collecting umbilical cord blood stem cells are performed manually. The total processing time can exceed six hours.

JP 2017-070410 A

Pablo Rubinstein et al.: Processing and cryopreservation of placental/umbilical cord blood for unrelated bone marrow reconstitution. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A. (1995) Oct.24: Vol.92(22) : 10119-10122. Voluntary Guidelines for Cord Blood Processing and Transplant Indications: 1996 Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Bone Marrow Transplant Research Project Version B Examination of cord blood processing methods in cord blood banks: Tsuneo Takahashi et al. Japanese Journal of Transfusion Medicine, 44(1):12-19, 1998 Study on cell recovery by washing frozen umbilical cord blood stem cells: Norihiro Sato et al. Japanese Journal of Transfusion Medicine, 44(6): 687-692,1998 Umbilical cord blood cryopreservation using the automated cryopreservation device BioArchive: Norihisa Sasayama et al. Japanese Journal of Transfusion Medicine 47(1): 15-21,2001 Cryopreservation of umbilical cord blood stem cells using a small three-dimensional freezing bag: Hideaki Murahashi et al. Medical Devices, 71(2): 57-62, 2001

The present invention aims to provide a cord blood bag set and a cord blood centrifuge that reduce the burden of the process of extracting cord blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cord blood bag set for collecting cord blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood,
The cord blood bag set includes:
a cord blood bag for containing the cord blood;
a red blood cell bag for containing red blood cells;
a stem cell bag for containing the umbilical cord blood stem cells;
A flow path switching unit;
A first transfer tube connected to the cord blood bag and the flow path switching unit;
a second transfer tube connected to the red blood cell bag and the flow path switching unit;
a third transfer tube connected to the stem cell bag and the flow path switching unit;
The flow path switching unit is configured to be switchable between a first open state in which the first transfer tube is connected to the second transfer tube but not to the third transfer tube, and a second open state in which the first transfer tube is not connected to the second transfer tube but is connected to the third transfer tube.

The flow path switching unit may be further configured to be switchable to a closed state in which the first transfer tube is not in communication with both the second transfer tube and the third transfer tube.

The flow path switching unit may be a flow path switching cock.

The cord blood bag includes an inlet for introducing the cord blood into the cord blood bag,
The portion of the umbilical cord blood bag other than the inlet, the red blood cell bag, the stem cell bag, the flow path switching section, the first transfer tube, the second transfer tube, and the third transfer tube are sealed with an anti-contamination film, and the inlet is exposed to the outside of the anti-contamination film.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cord blood centrifuge for use in extracting cord blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood,
The cord blood centrifuge comprises:
The rotor,
A rotation mechanism that rotates the rotor around a rotation axis;
a centrifugal bucket supported by the rotor;
The centrifugal bucket is configured to be capable of housing the bag set according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

The centrifuge bucket is configured to be deployable,
When the centrifuge buckets contain the cord blood bag set and are supported by the rotor, when deployed, the red blood cell bag and the stem cell bag may be positioned lower than the cord blood bag.

The centrifuge bucket comprises:
A first container for containing the cord blood bag;
a second storage section for storing the red blood cell bag and the stem cell bag, the second storage section being rotatably provided with respect to the first storage section;
The centrifuge bucket is deployed by the second housing portion rotating relative to the first housing portion.

The cord blood centrifuge may include a deployment mechanism for deploying and locking the centrifuge buckets against deployment.

The cord blood centrifuge may include a switching motor provided in the centrifuge bucket that switches the state of the flow path switching section.

The cord blood centrifuge comprises:
at least one optical sensor provided in the centrifuge bucket for detecting an optical characteristic of a component of the cord blood being transferred through the first transfer tube;
The flow path switching unit may be switched to the first open state or the second open state by the switching motor based on a detection result of the optical sensor.

The cord blood centrifuge comprises:
A pusher and
The system may further include an extrusion mechanism provided in the centrifuge bucket that presses the pusher against the cord blood bag contained in the centrifuge bucket to extrude the cord blood components from the cord blood bag into the first transfer tube.

The cord blood centrifuge comprises:
Rotating the rotor and the centrifuge bucket supported by the rotor with the rotation mechanism to centrifuge the cord blood in the cord blood bag contained in the centrifuge bucket;
The rotor and the centrifuge buckets supported by the rotor may be further rotated by the rotation mechanism to transfer the centrifuged cord blood components from the cord blood bag through the first transfer tube by centrifugal force.

The cord blood centrifuge comprises:
a balancer located on the opposite side of the rotation shaft from the centrifugal bucket;
an adjustment mechanism provided on the rotor that moves the balancer relative to the rotor in a direction toward and away from the rotation shaft;
a liquid level sensor provided in the centrifuge bucket for detecting a liquid level in the cord blood bag;
The balancer may be moved by the adjustment mechanism based on a detection result of the liquid level sensor.

The present invention provides a cord blood bag set and a cord blood centrifuge that reduce the burden of the process of extracting cord blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an umbilical cord blood bag set according to one embodiment. 2A to 2C are diagrams for explaining the operation of the flow path switching unit. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a centrifuge according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the centrifuge. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of the centrifuge bucket. 7A is a side view of a centrifuge bucket, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional side view of the centrifuge bucket containing a bag set. FIG. 2 is a front view of a centrifuge bucket containing a bag set in an expanded state. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a centrifuge bucket containing a bag set in an expanded state. 10A is a side cross-sectional view of the deployment mechanism, FIG. 10B is a plan view of the deployment mechanism, and FIG. 10C is a side view showing the eccentric cam. FIG. 11A is a side view of a centrifuge bucket according to a second embodiment, and FIG. 11B is a side cross-sectional view of the centrifuge bucket of FIG. 11A housing a bag set. FIG. 12 is a front cross-sectional view of the bucket body of the centrifuge bucket of FIG. 11 housing a bag set.

Below, a cord blood bag set (hereinafter simply referred to as a bag set) according to an embodiment and a cord blood centrifuge (hereinafter simply referred to as a centrifuge) according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
[Bag set]
1 , the bag set 1 includes an umbilical cord blood bag 2, a red blood cell bag 3, and a stem cell bag 4. The bag set 1 further includes a flow path switching unit 5. The bag set 1 further includes a first transfer tube 6, a second transfer tube 7, and a third transfer tube 8.

The cord blood bag 2 is for storing cord blood collected from the umbilical cord. The cord blood bag 2 has an inlet 9 for introducing cord blood into the inside of the bag. The inlet 9 is provided on the upper side of the cord blood bag 2. A blood collection tube 11 is integrally connected to the inlet 9 at one end. As described below, the cord blood is transferred to and stored in the cord blood bag 2 via the blood collection tube 11. The blood collection tube 11 has a blood collection needle 12 at the other end. Although not shown, the blood collection needle 12 is capped before use to prevent contamination and accidents.

The cord blood bag 2 has a sample collection port 13 on its upper side. The sample collection port 13 is usually sealed by an elastic body and is protected from contamination by a cap 14. A needle can be inserted into the elastic body to collect a portion of the cord blood contained in the cord blood bag 2 as a sample through the sample collection port 13.

The red blood cell bag 3 is for storing red blood cells. When the cord blood is centrifuged in the cord blood bag 2 by the centrifuge 30 (Figure 3) as described below, a layer of red blood cells is formed. These red blood cells are transferred from the cord blood bag 2 through the first transfer tube 6 and the second transfer tube 7 to be stored in the red blood cell bag 3 as described below.

The stem cell bag 4 is for storing cord blood stem cells. When the cord blood is centrifuged in the cord blood bag 2 by the centrifuge 30, a layer of white blood cells containing cord blood stem cells is formed in addition to a layer of red blood cells. These white blood cells containing cord blood stem cells are transferred from the cord blood bag 2 through the first transfer tube 6 and the third transfer tube 8 to the stem cell bag 4 and stored therein.

The stem cell bag 4 has a sample collection port 15 on its upper side. The sample collection port 15 is usually sealed with an elastic body and is protected from contamination by a cap 16 or the like. A needle can be inserted into the elastic body to collect a portion of the stem cells contained in the stem cell bag 4 as a sample through the sample collection port 15.

The first transfer tube 6 is connected to the cord blood bag 2 and the flow path switching unit 5. Specifically, the first transfer tube 6 is connected to the underside of the cord blood bag 2 and the upper surface of the flow path switching unit 5.

The second transfer tube 7 is connected to the red blood cell bag 3 and the flow path switching unit 5. Specifically, the second transfer tube 7 is connected to the upper side of the red blood cell bag 3 and the lower surface of the flow path switching unit 5.

The third transfer tube 8 is connected to the stem cell bag 4 and the flow path switching unit 5. Specifically, the third transfer tube 8 is connected to the upper side of the stem cell bag 4 and the lower surface of the flow path switching unit 5.

The flow path switching unit 5 is for switching the flow paths between the umbilical cord blood bag 2, the red blood cell bag 3, and the stem cell bag 4. Specifically, the flow path switching unit 5 is configured to be switchable between a closed state in which the first transfer tube 6 is not connected to both the second transfer tube 7 and the third transfer tube 8, a first open state in which the first transfer tube 6 is connected to the second transfer tube 7 but not to the third transfer tube 8, and a second open state in which the first transfer tube 6 is not connected to the second transfer tube 7 but is connected to the third transfer tube 8. The flow path switching unit 5 does not connect the second transfer tube 7 and the second transfer tube 8 to each other.

The flow path switching unit 5 is a flow path switching cock as shown in FIG. 2. The flow path switching unit 5 includes a case 20. The case 20 has one inlet port 21 and two outlet ports 22, 23. The first transfer tube 6 of the cord blood bag 2 is connected to the inlet port 21. The second transfer tube 7 of the red blood cell bag 3 is connected to one outlet port 22, and the third transfer tube 8 of the stem cell bag 4 is connected to the other outlet port 23.

The flow path switching unit 5 includes a valve body 24 housed in a case 20. The valve body 24 has two passages 25 and 26. These two passages 25 and 26 are formed to pass through the valve body 24.

The flow path switching unit 5 has a valve shaft 27 that is attached to the valve body 24 and passes through the case 20. The valve shaft 27 is connected to a switching motor 70 (FIG. 7B) of the centrifuge 30, as described below. Therefore, when the switching motor 70 is driven, the valve body 24 and the valve shaft 27 rotate.

As shown in FIG. 2A, when the valve body 24 is in a position that closes all of the ports 21, 22, and 23, the first transfer tube 6 is not in communication with both the second transfer tube 7 and the third transfer tube 8. Therefore, at this time, the flow path switching unit 5 is in a closed state.

As shown in FIG. 2B, when the valve body 24 is in a position where it connects the inlet port 21 to one outlet port 22 through one passage 25 and closes the other outlet port 23, the first transfer tube 6 is connected to the second transfer tube 7 and is not connected to the third transfer tube 8. Therefore, at this time, the flow path switching unit 5 is in the first open state.

As shown in FIG. 2C, when the valve body 24 is in a position that connects the inlet port 21 to the other outlet port 23 through the other passage 26 and closes one outlet port 22, the first transfer tube 6 is connected to the third transfer tube 8 and is not connected to the second transfer tube 7. Therefore, at this time, the flow path switching unit 5 is in the second open state.

That is, the valve body 24 is rotated by the switching motor 70 and its position is controlled, so that the flow path switching unit 5 switches between a closed state (Figure 2A), a first open state (Figure 2B), and a second open state (Figure 2C).

As shown in FIG. 1, the cord blood bag 2, except for the inlet 9, the red blood cell bag 3, the stem cell bag 4, the flow path switching unit 5, and the transfer tubes 6, 7, and 8 are sealed in a contamination prevention film 10. The inlet 9 and the blood collection tube 11 are exposed to the outside of the contamination prevention film 10.

Although not shown, the umbilical cord blood bag 2, the red blood cell bag 3, and the stem cell bag 4 may each have an air vent and an air vent filter attached to the air vent. The air vent filter is a sterile air vent filter.

Each component 2-8 of the bag set 1 is connected in a sealed state, and the umbilical cord blood bag 2 to the red blood cell bag 3 and the stem cell bag 4 are in a sealed structure.

The umbilical cord blood bag 2 has, for example, a capacity of 220 ml and dimensions of 100 mm x 140 mm x 20 mm, the red blood cell bag 3 has, for example, a capacity of 120 ml and dimensions of 80 mm x 130 mm x 12 mm, and the stem cell bag 4 has, for example, a capacity of 30 ml and dimensions of 70 mm x 80 mm x 6 mm.

The materials of each component, such as the bags 2, 3, 4, the tubes 6, 7, 8, and the contamination prevention film 10, are made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer). Any material may be used as long as it can be handled at temperatures above 4°C and does not leach plasticizers. After the bags 2, 3, 4, the flow path switching unit 5, and the tubes 6, 7, 8 are connected and sealed as shown in Figure 1, EOG sterilization, carbon dioxide sterilization, radiation sterilization, ultraviolet sterilization, etc. are performed.

[Centrifuge]
3 and 4 show a schematic diagram of the centrifuge 30. The centrifuge 30 includes a reinforced outer wall 31 and a housing 32 provided on the outer wall 31. Centrifugation of the cord blood is performed within the outer wall 31 as described below. As shown in Fig. 3, an outlet 33 is connected to the lower surface of the outer wall 31, and a stopcock 34 is provided at the outlet 33 for opening and closing the outlet 33. The outlet 33 is used to discharge any leaked liquid to the outside and then to wash the inside, and to discharge the washing liquid.

The centrifuge 30 further includes a control unit 35 (control panel) that controls each operation of the centrifuge 30, and an operation unit 36 (operation panel) that an operator uses to operate the centrifuge 30. The control unit 35 is provided inside the housing 32, and the operation unit 36 is provided on the outer surface of the housing 32. The operation unit 36 receives information input by the operator and sends it to the control unit 35, which controls each operation of the centrifuge 30 in accordance with the input information.

The centrifuge 30 includes a rotor 37 and a rotation mechanism 39 that rotates the rotor 37 around its central rotation axis 38. The rotor 37 is supported horizontally within the outer wall 31 by the rotation mechanism 39. The rotation axis 38 of the rotor 37 extends vertically (up and down).

The rotation mechanism 39 includes a bearing unit 40 and a centrifugal motor 41. The bearing unit 40 extends vertically between the interior of the outer wall 31 and the interior of the housing 32 through a hole 42. The rotation shaft 38 is rotatably received in the bearing unit 40 and is connected to the centrifugal motor 41. Therefore, when the centrifugal motor 41 is driven, the rotor 37 rotates around the rotation shaft 38. The rotation mechanism 39 also includes a damper 43 and a sealing 44.

The centrifuge 30 further includes a centrifuge bucket 60 that is detachably and rotatably supported by the rotor 37. When supported by the rotor 37, the centrifuge bucket 60 rotates around the rotation axis 38 together with the rotor 37 by the rotation mechanism 39. The centrifuge bucket 60 is configured to be able to accommodate the above-mentioned bag set 1. Therefore, the centrifuge bucket 60 that accommodates the bag set 1 can be rotated by the rotation mechanism 39 to centrifuge the cord blood in the cord blood bag 2 of the bag set 1. The structure of the centrifuge bucket 60 will be described later.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a bucket passage opening 45 is formed in the ceiling portion above the outer wall 31. A lid 46 (Figure 3) is rotatably provided on the ceiling portion to open and close the bucket passage opening 45. An operator can open the lid 46 and attach and remove the centrifugal bucket 60 to and from the rotor 37 through the bucket passage opening 45.

As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the centrifuge 30 further includes a balancer 50 and an adjustment mechanism 51 provided on the rotor 37 for moving the balancer 50. The balancer 50 is located on the opposite side of the rotation shaft 38 from the centrifugal buckets 60 supported by the rotor 37. The balancer 50 is provided on the rotor 37 so as to be slidable in a direction toward and away from the rotation shaft 38.

The adjustment mechanism 51 provides balance during centrifugation. The adjustment mechanism 51 includes a balancing motor 52 attached to the rotor 37 and a ball screw 53 (FIG. 5) connected to the balancing motor 52. The balancer 50 is threadedly engaged with the ball screw 53. Therefore, when the balancing motor 52 is driven to rotate the ball screw 53, the balancer 50 moves along the ball screw 53. That is, the balancer 50 moves relative to the rotor 37 in a direction toward and away from the rotation shaft 38.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the centrifuge bucket 60 has a first storage section 61 for storing and holding the umbilical cord blood bag 2, and a second storage section 62 for storing and holding the red blood cell bag 3 and the stem cell bag 4.

The first storage section 61 includes a bucket body 63. The cord blood bag 2 is stored in the bucket body 63. The bucket body 63 has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the cord blood bag 2, and the cord blood bag 2 is received and held in the bucket body 63. As shown in FIG. 7B, the first transfer tube 6 is stored in the bucket body 63 below the cord blood bag 2. A switching motor 70 is provided in the bucket body 63, and the valve shaft 27 of the flow path switching section 5 can be connected to the switching motor 70.

As shown in FIG. 7, the first storage section 61 further includes an upper cover 66 for covering the bucket body 63 from above, which is rotatably attached to the bucket body 63 by a pin 65, and a protective plate 67 for protecting the cord blood bag 2. The cord blood bag 2 received in the bucket body 63 is covered and protected by the protective plate 67.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first storage section 61 further includes a swing arm 64 that protrudes horizontally from the left and right outer surfaces of the bucket body 63. The swing arm 64 is located on the upper part of the bucket body 63. As shown in FIG. 5, the rotor 37 is configured to detachably receive the swing arm 64. By receiving the swing arm 64, the rotor 37 supports the centrifugal bucket 60 so that it can swing around the swing arm 64. Therefore, when the centrifugal bucket 60 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 39, it receives centrifugal force and swings around the swing arm 64 relative to the rotor 37.

The second storage section 62 consists of a bag cover 68. The red blood cell bag 3 and the stem cell bag 4 are stored in the bag cover 68. The second transfer tube 7 and the third transfer tube 8 are mostly stored in the bag cover 68. The bag cover 68 is rotatably attached to the bucket body 63 by a pin 69 at the lower end of the bucket body 63.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the centrifugal bucket 60 can be deployed by rotating the second storage section 62 relative to the first storage section 61. As shown in Figures 6 to 9, the bag cover 68, which partially covers the protective plate 67 and the bucket body 63, rotates downward around the pin 69, causing the centrifugal bucket 60 to deploy.

When the unexpanded centrifuge bucket 60 contains the bag set 1 and is supported by the rotor 37, the cord blood bag 2, red blood cell bag 3, and stem cell bag 4 are located at the same height (see FIG. 7B). When the centrifuge bucket 60 is expanded from this state, the red blood cell bag 3 and stem cell bag 4 are located lower than the cord blood bag 2 (see FIG. 8 and FIG. 9). Furthermore, at this time, the second transfer tube 7 and the third transfer tube 8 are lowered from the flow path switching section 5 supported by the bucket body 63. Therefore, the separated components of the cord blood described later can be transferred from the cord blood bag 2 to the red blood cell bag 3 or the stem cell bag 4 by gravity.

The centrifuge 30 further includes a deployment mechanism 90 for deploying and locking the centrifuge bucket 60 (shown only in FIG. 10 and omitted in FIGS. 6-9). FIG. 10A shows an enlarged view of the region T in FIG. 7B together with the deployment mechanism 90, and FIG. 10B is a plan view of the deployment mechanism 90. As shown in FIG. 10B, the deployment mechanism 90 includes a stopper 91, a deployment motor 92, and an eccentric cam 93 in the first storage section 61. The stopper 91 is rotatably provided around a pin 94. As shown in FIG. 10C, the eccentric cam 93 includes an eccentric protrusion 95, which is inserted into a hole 96 (FIG. 10A) of the stopper 91. The eccentric cam 93 is connected to the deployment motor 92, and rotates around the axis AX (FIG. 10C) when the deployment motor 92 is driven. Therefore, when the deployment motor 92 is driven, the eccentric protrusion 95 rotates around the axis AX, thereby moving the stopper 91 up and down around the pin 94. As shown in FIG. 10A, when the stopper 91 is lowered and abuts against the hook 97 at the tip of the bag cover 68, the bag cover 68 is locked by the stopper 91 and does not rotate. Therefore, at this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the centrifugal bucket 60 is locked so as not to be deployed. On the other hand, when the stopper 91 is raised around the pin 94 by the deployment motor 92 from the state shown in FIG. 10A, the stopper 91 leaves the hook 97, the bag cover 68 is released from the lock, and as a result, the bag cover 68 rotates downward. Therefore, the centrifugal bucket 60 is deployed.

The centrifuge 30 is equipped with a liquid level sensor provided in the centrifuge bucket 60. The liquid level sensor detects the liquid level in the cord blood bag 2.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the liquid level sensor is provided at an appropriate position in the first storage section 61 and consists of a light source (not shown, e.g., an LED) that projects light toward the cord blood bag 2 contained in the bucket body 63, and a diode array 71 that is provided vertically on the inner surface of the bucket body 63 and serves as a detector that detects light projected from the light source and transmitted through or reflected by the cord blood bag 2 (or the liquid therein). The diode array 71 may be provided on the protective plate 67 instead of the bucket body 63. Naturally, the cord blood bag 2 is made of a material that is transparent to the light from the light source.

The control unit 35 converts the liquid level detected based on the detection signal of the diode array 71 into the amount of cord blood collected in the cord blood bag 2. The control unit 35 drives the balancing motor 52 to move the balancer 50 to a position determined according to the amount collected. This makes it possible to adjust the balance during centrifugation according to the amount of cord blood collected in the cord blood bag 2.

As shown in FIG. 8, the centrifuge 30 has two optical sensors 80 provided in the bucket body 63 of the centrifuge bucket 60. The optical sensors 80 detect the optical characteristics of the cord blood (its centrifuged components) moving through the first transfer tube 6. One optical sensor 80 detects the optical characteristics on the upstream side, and the other optical sensor 80 detects the optical characteristics on the downstream side.

The optical sensor 80 may detect either the reflectance or transmittance of the cord blood components. For example, the optical sensor 80 may comprise a light source that projects light toward the first transfer tube 6, and a detector that is arranged to detect light reflected by or transmitted through the cord blood components in the first transfer tube 6. Naturally, the first transfer tube 6 is made of a material that is transparent to the light of the light source.

As described below, the cord blood is separated into three layers by centrifugation, and the components of the separated layers flow sequentially through the first transfer tube 6. Since the optical properties of these three layers are different, the control unit 35 can determine which separated layer component is being transferred through the first transfer tube 6 based on the signal from the detector of the optical sensor 80. The control unit 35 can calculate the flow rate of the cord blood components based on the time difference between the detections of the two optical sensors 80. The control unit 35 drives the switching motor 70 at a timing determined based on the detection results of the two optical sensors 80 to switch the flow path switching unit 5 to the first open state, the second open state, or the open state. In other words, the control unit 35 can switch the flow path switching unit 5 at a timing that matches the flow rate of the cord blood components.

As shown in FIG. 5, a power supply battery 54 and a communication device 55 are provided on the rotor 37. The power supply battery 54 is electrically connected to the balancing motor 52 and the communication device 55 and supplies power to them. When the centrifugal bucket 60 is supported on the rotor 37, an electrical connection between the centrifugal bucket 60 and the rotor 37 is realized by a well-known means such as a connector. As a result, the power supply battery 54 supplies power to the switching motor 70, the deployment motor 92, the liquid level sensor, and the optical sensor 80 in the centrifuge bucket 60. Note that the centrifugal motor 41 is powered not by the power supply battery 54 but by a separate power source.

The communication device 55 has a function of wirelessly communicating with the control unit 35. Signals from the liquid level sensor and the optical sensor 80 are transmitted to the control unit 35 via the communication device 55 and the electrical connection between the centrifuge bucket 60 and the rotor 37 described above. The control unit 35 drives and controls the balancing motor 52 via the communication device 55, and drives and controls the switching motor 70 and the deployment motor 92 via the communication device 55 and the electrical connection between the centrifuge bucket 60 and the rotor 37 described above. In this way, the control unit 35 can control the motors 52, 70, and 92 provided in the rotor 37 and the centrifuge bucket 60. Note that a part of the control unit 35 may be provided in the rotor 37 to control part of the operation of the centrifuge 30 without using the communication device 55.

The bag set 1 and centrifuge 30 constitute a system for collecting umbilical cord blood stem cells.

[Method of collecting umbilical cord blood stem cells]
Below, a method for harvesting cord blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood is described.

Cord blood is collected. Bag set 1 shown in Figure 1 is prepared. The operator inserts blood collection needle 12 of blood collection tube 11 into the umbilical vein. The umbilical cord is held higher than cord blood bag 2, and cord blood is transferred by gravity from the umbilical cord through blood collection tube 11 to cord blood bag 2 and stored there. Here, flow path switching unit 5 is in a closed state (Figure 2A), and cord blood in cord blood bag 2 does not flow to second transfer tube 7 or third transfer tube 8. Note that an anticoagulant has been added to cord blood bag 2 beforehand when bag set 1 is used.

Next, the cord blood is centrifuged. After collecting the blood, the operator heat seals the blood collection tube 11 near the cord blood bag 2 and separates it. The operator also removes the contamination prevention film 10. The operator moves to another location, places the bag set 1 in the centrifuge bucket 60 as shown in FIG. 7B, and locks the centrifuge bucket 60 with the deployment mechanism 90. Specifically, in the deployed centrifuge bucket 60, the cord blood bag 2 is placed in the bucket body 63, which is covered with the top cover 66 and the protective plate 67, the flow path switching unit 5 is connected to the switching motor 70, the red blood cell bag 3 and the stem cell bag 4 are placed in the bag cover 68, the bag cover 68 is rotated and pressed against the bucket body 63, and is locked with the stopper 91. The centrifuge bucket 60 is then supported by the rotor 37.

The operator operates the operation unit 36 of the centrifuge 30 to cause the centrifuge 30 to centrifuge the collected cord blood. First, the centrifuge 30 detects the level of the cord blood in the cord blood bag 2 using a liquid level sensor, and based on the detection result, moves the balancer 50 to an appropriate position using the adjustment mechanism 51. Then, the centrifuge 30 rotates the rotor 37 and the centrifuge bucket 60 supported by it around the rotation axis 38 using the rotation mechanism 39. As a result, the cord blood is centrifuged in the cord blood bag 2. Note that the centrifuge 30 may drive the deployment motor 92 during centrifugation to urge the stopper 91 downward so that the bag cover 68 does not rotate due to centrifugal force.

As a result of the centrifugation, the cord blood is separated into layers within the cord blood bag 2, specifically into three major layers. The bottom layer is a layer of red blood cells, which have a high specific gravity. The middle layer is a layer of white blood cells that contain cord blood stem cells. The top layer is a layer of plasma.

In this embodiment, no erythrocyte sedimenting agent is used. Separation without the use of an erythrocyte sedimenting agent is performed in a centrifugal region where blood cells can be efficiently separated, as shown by the general equation for sedimentation velocity according to Stokes' law (see equation 1 below).

[Equation 1]
(General equation for Stokes' law of settling velocity)
Vp = d2(P1-P2)/18μ×G
Vp: Sedimentation velocity
d: particle diameter
P1: Particle density (concentration)
P2: Liquid concentration (density)
μ: Viscosity of the liquid
G: Gravitational acceleration

To achieve this, a centrifugal force 2.5 to 6 times larger than that currently used is required. Furthermore, the rate at which the centrifugal force increases must be precisely controlled in order to minimize the effects of entrainment by cells that have a high specific gravity and a high moving speed. The control program for the rotation speed of the centrifuge 30 is designed for high control accuracy. For example, the centrifuge 30 performs centrifugation for approximately 15 minutes at a centrifugal force (centrifugal acceleration) of approximately 1800 G.

When the centrifuge 30 completes the separation and stratification of the cells by centrifugation, it slows down the rotation of the rotor 37 to a speed that does not disturb the separated layers, and releases the lock on the centrifuge buckets 60 by the deployment mechanism 90 shortly before the rotation stops. The centrifuge buckets 60 then deploy toward the outer periphery due to centrifugal force, but as they move downward, the centrifugal force acts as a brake, and as the rotor 37 stops, they deploy gently as shown in Figures 8 and 9, causing the red blood cell bag 3 and stem cell bag 4 to hang down at a position lower than the umbilical cord blood bag 2.

The centrifuge 30 drives the switching motor 70 to change the flow path switching unit 5 from the open state to the first open state. Therefore, the first transfer tube 6 and the second transfer tube 7 are connected to each other. As a result, the red blood cells in the bottom layer in the cord blood bag 2 are transferred by gravity through the first transfer tube 6 and the second transfer tube 7 to the red blood cell bag 3 and stored there.

Following the red blood cells, the white blood cells containing the cord blood stem cells in the middle layer are transferred through the first transfer tube 6. This is detected by the optical sensor 80. At a timing determined based on the detection result of the optical sensor 80, the centrifuge 30 switches the flow path switching unit 5 from the first open state to the second open state by the switching motor 70, and the first transfer tube 6 is now connected to the third transfer tube 8. As a result, the white blood cells containing the cord blood stem cells are transferred through the third transfer tube 8 to the stem cell bag 4 and stored therein.

When the transfer of the white blood cells containing the cord blood stem cells is completed, the centrifuge 30 switches the flow path switching unit 5 from the second open state to the closed state by the switching motor 70 at a timing determined based on the detection result of the optical sensor 80. This causes the plasma to accumulate in the cord blood bag 2 and the first transfer tube 6.

Thus, the cord blood is separated, with the plasma remaining in cord blood bag 2, the red blood cells being contained in red blood cell bag 3, and the white blood cells containing cord blood stem cells being contained in stem cell bag 4. Thus, collection of cord blood stem cells is completed. When centrifugation and subsequent collection of the cord blood stem cells into stem cell bag 4 is completed, the centrifuge 30 notifies the operator of this by voice or display.

The above-described embodiment of the method for harvesting stem cells has the following advantages:

While conventional collection methods take more than six hours to complete, the collection method of the present embodiment can be completed in approximately 60 minutes, significantly reducing the time burden. In conventional collection processes, most of the work is done manually, forcing the operator to perform stressful tasks over long periods of time. In contrast, in the collection process of the present embodiment, most of the work is performed automatically by the bag set 1 and centrifuge 30, significantly reducing the labor burden on the operator.

The collection method of the present embodiment reduces the work of the conventional collection method as follows.
Addition of drugs for erythrocyte sedimentation and mixing (not required in this application)
- Two centrifugations performed by switching between low and high centrifugal force (one centrifugation in this application)
・Transferring the upper layer other than red blood cells from the blood collection bag to a separation bag ・Transferring the upper layer other than cord blood stem cells from the separation bag to a plasma bag ・Transferring or injecting cord blood stem cells from the separation bag to a stem cell bag ・Weight measurement operations repeated during processing

Each component of the bag set 1 is connected in a sealed state, preventing the cord blood from coming into contact with the external environment and minimizing the possibility of contamination. The contamination prevention film 10 prevents contamination of the bag set 1 during blood collection.

The amount of umbilical cord blood collected varies from individual to individual. This difference can cause imbalance during centrifugation, posing the risk of damage. However, the balancer 50, adjustment mechanism 51, and liquid level sensor ensure the appropriate balance according to the amount collected, ensuring stable centrifugation.

The cord blood is separated by high centrifugal force. The first storage section 61 of the centrifuge bucket 60 is shaped to match the outer shape of the cord blood bag 2 and receives the cord blood bag 2, preventing damage due to deformation of the cord blood bag 2.

The sterile air vent filters provided in each of the cord blood bag 2, red blood cell bag 3, and stem cell bag 4 reduce the resistance that occurs when the cord blood components are transferred, eliminating changes in the internal pressure of each bag and ensuring reliable transfer. A bag set without this sterile air vent filter can be used if the internal pressure is lowered or the content volume is small when set. For example, the three bags 2, 3, and 4 can be appropriately depressurized as in vacuum blood collection tubes to take in the cord blood, and after centrifugation, the flow path switching unit 5 can be used to transfer the red blood cell layer and the white blood cell layer containing stem cells without disturbing the layers.

The detection time difference between the two optical sensors 80 is converted into flow velocity to ensure timing accuracy for the start and end of transfer to the red blood cell bag 3 and stem cell bag 4. In other words, accuracy is improved by correcting differences in viscosity due to blood temperature, concentration, etc. during processing. As a result, cord blood stem cells can be collected accurately and efficiently.

In the bag set 1 of Fig. 1, the blood collection tube 11 is integrally connected to the cord blood bag 2. Alternatively, the blood collection tube 11 may be provided separately from the cord blood bag 2 before use.
For example, the cord blood bag 2 may have an inlet 9 and a contamination prevention cap (not shown) that is detachably attached to the inlet 9 and seals the inlet 9, and the blood collection tube 11 may have a blood collection needle 12 at one end and be connected to the inlet 9 at the other end. When collecting cord blood, the contamination prevention cap is removed, the blood collection tube 11 is connected to the inlet 9, and the blood collection needle 12 is inserted into the umbilical cord. After collecting blood, the blood collection tube 11 is removed from the inlet 9 and the contamination prevention cap is attached to the inlet 9. Note that in this case as well, both ends of the blood collection tube 11 are capped before use.

Another embodiment will be described below. Configurations that are the same as or similar to those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. Also, descriptions of method steps that are the same as or similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted as much as possible.

[Second embodiment]
11 and 12 show a centrifuge bucket 60 according to the second embodiment. The bag set 1 is accommodated in the bucket body 63. That is, the first accommodation section 61 for accommodating the cord blood bag 2 and the second accommodation section 62 for accommodating the red blood cell bag 3 and the stem cell bag 4 are both formed by the bucket body 63. The second accommodation section 62 is provided below the first accommodation section 61 and the swing arm 64. The cord blood bag 2 is accommodated vertically, and the red blood cell bag 3 and the stem cell bag 4 are accommodated horizontally. The centrifuge bucket 60 is closed by covering the bucket body 63 with the bag cover 68 and then covering the bucket body 63 with the top cover 66.

The centrifuge 30 further includes a pusher 100 and an extrusion mechanism 102 provided in the centrifuge bucket 60, which presses the pusher 100 against the cord blood bag 2 contained in the centrifuge bucket 60.

The pusher 100 has a plate shape. At its lower end, the pusher 100 is rotatably attached to the bag cover 68 by a pin 101. As shown in FIG. 11B, when the bag cover 68 covers the bucket body 63 in which the bag set 1 is housed, the pusher 100 faces the cord blood bag 2. Therefore, the cord blood bag 2 is sandwiched between the pusher 100 and the inner wall of the centrifuge bucket 60 (bucket body 63).

As shown in FIG. 11B, the extrusion mechanism 102 includes an extrusion motor 103. The extrusion motor 103 is attached to the upper part of the bucket body 63 so that its shaft 104 is horizontal. The extrusion motor 103 is configured to receive power from the power supply battery 54 (FIG. 5) and to be controlled by the control unit 35 (FIG. 3).

An attachment body 105 with a threaded outer periphery is fitted onto the shaft 104. A hole is formed at the upper end of the pusher 100. As shown in FIG. 11B, when the bag cover 68 covers the bucket body 63, the pusher 100 can be attached to the attachment body 104 by engaging the threads of the attachment body 104 at the position of the hole. In this state, if the extrusion mechanism 102 drives the motor 103 to rotate the shaft 104, the pusher 100 can be moved within a predetermined range around the pin 101. Therefore, the extrusion mechanism 102 can press the pusher 100 against the cord blood bag 2.

The extrusion mechanism 102 can press the pusher 100 against the cord blood bag 2 to pinch the cord blood bag 2 between the pusher 100 and the inner wall of the centrifuge bucket 60, thereby continuously and forcibly reducing the volume of the cord blood bag 2. In other words, the extrusion mechanism 102 can use the pusher 100 to push and transfer the cord blood components from the cord blood bag 2 to the first transfer tube 6.

The extrusion mechanism 102 is not limited to the above configuration, and any configuration may be adopted as long as it is capable of moving the pusher 100 to extrude the cord blood components from the cord blood bag 2 with the pusher 100. For example, the pusher 100 may be disposed on the opposite side to the bag cover 68, and the extrusion mechanism 102 may press the pusher 100 against the cord blood bag 2 so that the cord blood bag 2 is sandwiched between the pusher 100 and the inner wall of the bag cover 68, thereby extruding the cord blood components from the cord blood bag 2.

In the second embodiment, a method for collecting cord blood stem cells from cord blood is described below. In this embodiment, when the bag set 1 is housed in the bucket body 63 and the bucket body 63 is covered with the bag cover 68, the pusher 100 is hung on the attachment body 104 and attached as described above. Then, as in the first embodiment, the centrifuge 30 centrifuges the cord blood in the cord blood bag 2 to separate it into three layers.

Next, the centrifuge 30 drives the switching motor 70 to change the flow path switching unit 5 from the open state to the first open state, thereby connecting the first transfer tube 6 to the second transfer tube 7. Then, the centrifuge 30 drives the pushing motor 103 to push the pusher 100 against the cord blood bag 2, thereby reducing the volume of the cord blood bag 2. As a result, the red blood cells at the bottom are pushed out of the cord blood bag 2, and are transferred through the first transfer tube 6 and the second transfer tube 7 to the red blood cell bag 3, where they are stored.

Next, the centrifuge 30 switches the flow path switching unit 5 from the first open state to the second open state by the switching motor 70 at a timing determined based on the detection result of the optical sensor 80, and now connects the first transfer tube 6 to the third transfer tube 8. The centrifuge 30 presses the pusher 100 against the cord blood bag 2, continuing to reduce the volume of the cord blood bag 2. Thus, white blood cells containing cord blood stem cells are pushed out of the cord blood bag 2, and are transferred to the stem cell bag 4 through the first transfer tube 6 and the third transfer tube 8, where they are stored.

Then, the centrifuge 30 switches the flow path switching unit 5 from the second open state to the closed state by the switching motor 70 at a timing determined based on the detection result of the optical sensor 80. This causes the plasma to accumulate in the cord blood bag 2 and the first transfer tube 6. The centrifuge 30 stops pressing the pusher 100 against the cord blood bag 2.

In this manner, collection of umbilical cord blood stem cells is completed, as in the previous embodiment.

In the second embodiment, the transfer speed of the cord blood components can be adjusted by adjusting the extrusion speed of the pusher 100. That is, the cord blood components can be transferred at any speed, from a gentle speed below free fall to several times that speed. In the centrifuge 30 of the second embodiment, by selecting the optimal transfer speed, more efficient collection of stem cells from the cord blood can be achieved.

Another advantage of the second embodiment is that it does not require a deployment mechanism 90, and the structure of the centrifugal bucket 60 is simpler than in the first embodiment.

[Third embodiment]
In the third embodiment, the transfer of cord blood components is performed using centrifugal force. In this embodiment, for example, a centrifuge bucket 60 as shown in FIG. 11 is used, which is not provided with a pusher 100 and an extrusion mechanism 102. Hereinafter, a method for collecting cord blood stem cells from cord blood in the third embodiment will be described.

As in the previous embodiment, the centrifuge 30 rotates the rotor 37 and the centrifuge buckets 60 supported by it around the rotation axis 38 using the rotation mechanism 39 to centrifuge the cord blood within the cord blood bag 2.

Next, the centrifuge 30 uses the switching motor 70 to change the flow path switching unit 5 from the open state to the first open state, and rotates the rotor 37 and the centrifuge bucket 60 supported by it around the rotation axis 38 using the rotation mechanism 39, thereby applying further centrifugal force to the centrifuged cord blood. As a result, the red blood cells in the bottom layer are transferred by the centrifugal force from the cord blood bag 2 through the first transfer tube 6 and the second transfer tube 7 to the red blood cell bag 3, where they are stored.

Next, the centrifuge 30 switches the flow path switching unit 5 from the first open state to the second open state by the switching motor 70 at a timing determined based on the detection result of the optical sensor 80. The rotor 37 and the centrifuge bucket 60 supported by it continue to rotate. Therefore, the white blood cells containing the cord blood stem cells are transferred by centrifugal force from the cord blood bag 2 through the first transfer tube 6 and the third transfer tube 8 to the stem cell bag 4 and stored therein.

Next, the centrifuge 30 switches the flow path switching unit 5 from the second open state to the closed state by the switching motor 70 at a timing determined based on the detection result of the optical sensor 80, and further stops the rotation of the rotor 37. This causes the plasma to accumulate in the cord blood bag 2 and the first transfer tube 6. This completes the collection of cord blood stem cells.

In the third embodiment, the centrifuge 30's inherent function of applying centrifugal force is used to transfer the cord blood components. Therefore, the deployment mechanism 90, pusher 100, and extrusion mechanism 102 described above are not required. This allows for even greater structural rationalization of the centrifuge bucket 60, and therefore the centrifuge 30.

Because the transfer is performed using centrifugal force, another advantage of the third embodiment is that the cord blood components can be transferred at the desired transfer speed by precisely controlling the centrifugal force, and therefore the rotation speed of the rotor 37.

1 Cord blood bag set 2 Cord blood bag 3 Red blood cell bag 4 Stem cell bag 5 Flow path switching unit (flow path switching cock)
Reference Signs List 6: First transfer tube 7: Second transfer tube 8: Third transfer tube 9: Inlet 10: Contamination prevention film 30: Centrifuge 37: Rotor 38: Rotating shaft 39: Rotating mechanism 50: Balancer 51: Adjustment mechanism 60: Centrifuge bucket 61: First storage section 62: Second storage section 70: Switching motor 71: Diode array 80: Optical sensor 90: Deployment mechanism 100: Pusher 102: Extrusion mechanism

Claims (10)

A cord blood bag set used for collecting cord blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood, the cord blood bag set being provided with an anti-contamination film,
The cord blood bag set includes:
a cord blood bag for containing the cord blood;
a red blood cell bag for containing red blood cells;
a stem cell bag for containing the umbilical cord blood stem cells;
A flow path switching unit;
A first transfer tube connected to the cord blood bag and the flow path switching unit;
a second transfer tube connected to the red blood cell bag and the flow path switching unit;
a third transfer tube connected to the stem cell bag and the flow path switching unit;
the flow path switching unit is configured to be switchable between a first open state in which the first transfer tube is communicated with the second transfer tube and not communicated with the third transfer tube, and a second open state in which the first transfer tube is not communicated with the second transfer tube and is communicated with the third transfer tube ,
The cord blood bag comprises:
an inlet for introducing the cord blood into the cord blood bag;
a portion of the cord blood bag other than the inlet, the red blood cell bag, the stem cell bag, the flow path switching unit, the first transfer tube, the second transfer tube, and the third transfer tube are sealed by the contamination prevention film, and the inlet is exposed to the outside of the contamination prevention film;
The contamination prevention film can be removed from the bag set.
Cord blood bag set. the flow path switching unit is configured to be further switched to a closed state in which the first transfer tube is not in communication with both the second transfer tube and the third transfer tube.
The cord blood bag set according to claim 1. The flow path switching unit is a flow path switching cock.
The cord blood bag set according to claim 1 or 2. A cord blood centrifuge used for extracting cord blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood, comprising:
The rotor,
A rotation mechanism that rotates the rotor around a rotation axis;
a centrifugal bucket supported by the rotor;
The centrifuge bucket is configured to accommodate a cord blood bag set,
The cord blood bag set includes:
the cord blood bag for storing the cord blood, the red blood cell bag for storing red blood cells, the stem cell bag for storing the cord blood stem cells, a flow path switching unit, a first transfer tube connected to the cord blood bag and the flow path switching unit, a second transfer tube connected to the red blood cell bag and the flow path switching unit, and a third transfer tube connected to the stem cell bag and the flow path switching unit, the flow path switching unit being configured to be switchable between a first open state in which the first transfer tube is connected to the second transfer tube but not to the third transfer tube, and a second open state in which the first transfer tube is not connected to the second transfer tube but to the third transfer tube,
The centrifuge bucket is configured to be deployable,
When the centrifuge buckets contain the cord blood bag set and are supported by the rotor, when the buckets are deployed, the red blood cell bag and the stem cell bag are positioned lower than the cord blood bag.
Centrifuge for umbilical cord blood. The centrifuge bucket comprises:
A first container for containing the cord blood bag;
a second storage section for storing the red blood cell bag and the stem cell bag, the second storage section being rotatably provided with respect to the first storage section;
The centrifugal bucket is deployed by rotating the second housing portion relative to the first housing portion.
The cord blood centrifuge according to claim 4 . a deployment mechanism for deploying and locking the centrifuge bucket against deployment;
The cord blood centrifuge according to claim 4 or 5 . A cord blood centrifuge used for extracting cord blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood, comprising:
The rotor,
A rotation mechanism that rotates the rotor around a rotation axis;
a centrifugal bucket supported by the rotor;
The centrifuge bucket is configured to accommodate a cord blood bag set,
The cord blood bag set includes:
the cord blood bag for storing the cord blood, the red blood cell bag for storing red blood cells, the stem cell bag for storing the cord blood stem cells, a flow path switching unit, a first transfer tube connected to the cord blood bag and the flow path switching unit, a second transfer tube connected to the red blood cell bag and the flow path switching unit, and a third transfer tube connected to the stem cell bag and the flow path switching unit, the flow path switching unit being configured to be switchable between a first open state in which the first transfer tube is connected to the second transfer tube but not to the third transfer tube, and a second open state in which the first transfer tube is not connected to the second transfer tube but to the third transfer tube,
The cord blood centrifuge further comprises:
A pusher provided in the centrifuge bucket;
an extrusion mechanism provided in the centrifuge bucket;
The extrusion mechanism includes:
A push-out motor is provided in the centrifugal bucket,
by driving the pushing motor, the pusher is pushed against the cord blood bag contained in the centrifuge bucket, and the cord blood component is pushed out from the cord blood bag into the first transfer tube.
Centrifuge for umbilical cord blood. A cord blood centrifuge used for extracting cord blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood, comprising:
The rotor,
A rotation mechanism that rotates the rotor around a rotation axis;
a centrifugal bucket supported by the rotor;
The centrifuge bucket is configured to accommodate a cord blood bag set,
The cord blood bag set includes:
the cord blood bag for storing the cord blood, the red blood cell bag for storing red blood cells, the stem cell bag for storing the cord blood stem cells, a flow path switching unit, a first transfer tube connected to the cord blood bag and the flow path switching unit, a second transfer tube connected to the red blood cell bag and the flow path switching unit, and a third transfer tube connected to the stem cell bag and the flow path switching unit, the flow path switching unit being configured to be switchable between a first open state in which the first transfer tube is connected to the second transfer tube but not to the third transfer tube, and a second open state in which the first transfer tube is not connected to the second transfer tube but to the third transfer tube,
The cord blood centrifuge further comprises:
a balancer located on the opposite side of the rotation shaft from the centrifugal bucket;
an adjustment mechanism provided on the rotor that moves the balancer relative to the rotor in a direction toward and away from the rotation shaft;
a liquid level sensor provided in the centrifuge bucket for detecting a liquid level in the cord blood bag;
The liquid level sensor includes:
a light source that projects light toward the cord blood bag contained in the centrifuge bucket;
a detector for detecting the light transmitted through or reflected from the cord blood bag;
The balancer is moved by the adjustment mechanism based on the detection result of the liquid level sensor.
Centrifuge for umbilical cord blood. A switching motor is provided in the centrifugal bucket to switch the state of the flow path switching unit.
The cord blood centrifuge according to any one of claims 4 to 8 . at least one optical sensor provided in the centrifuge bucket for detecting an optical characteristic of a component of the cord blood being transferred through the first transfer tube;
The flow path switching unit is switched to the first open state or the second open state by the switching motor based on a detection result of the optical sensor.
The cord blood centrifuge according to claim 9 .

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