Process for operating a blood centrifugation unit

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The previously described state of the art poses a problem which always arises when quantities of liquids are to be separated that exceed the filling volume of the separation chamber of a centrifuging rotor.
It also arises when the filling volume of a separation chamber exceeds that of a separated component.
To solve this problem, the present invention provides a process of operating a centrifuging unit.
It also provides a centrifuging unit to carry out such a process.
Using it, even large quantities of liquids to be separated into at least two components can be broken down without stopping the centrifuge in batch-operation fashion.
This also provides a possibility of suctioning out the heaviest components at full operational angular velocity of between ca.
4000 and ca.
6000 rpm.
(The operating angular velocity is fundamentally limited at the low end by dissolution of the separation boundaries.
At the high end, it is limited by the mechanical loading capacity of the separation bowl.
) Suctioning is to be accompanied by the least possible dilution.
In relation to a centrifuging unit of the type initially mentioned, the problem is solved by having the inlet, the feed channel, the separation chamber and the outlet, seen in the direction of flow, become flow paths separated from each other.
The pump device, reversing the direction of flow between inlet and outlet, can be switched over to withdraw a separated component via the feed channel and the inlet.
The transition between the separation chamber and the outlet is situated closed to the rotational axis, at a distance of at most 10 mm, and preferably 2 to 6 mm away from it.
The process according to the invention makes it possible to remove the separated components and heavy fractions of the centrifuging bowl or centrifuging unit without having to stop the unit from rotating.
According to the invention-specific process, a sufficient or pre-set quantity of separated components is concentrated in the centrifuging container.
After this has been accomplished, the flow direction that was maintained to feed in the not yet separated liquid (i