Adjusting pH in a method of separating whole blood

1. A method of collecting and separating whole blood into more than one component comprising the steps of:

adding an anticoagulant having an acidic pH to a bag for collecting and/or separating whole blood before whole blood is collected in the bag; collecting whole blood in the bag;

loading the bag containing anticoagulated whole blood on a rotor;

spinning the bag on the rotor to separate the whole blood into more than one component; and

expanding a hydraulic chamber on the rotor to squeeze the bag on the rotor to transfer the more than one component from the separation bag into a satellite bags;

wherein the step of adding an anticoagulant further comprises adding CPD acidified with additional carbon dioxide.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of adding an anticoagulant further comprises adding ACDA.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of adding an anticoagulant further comprises adding CPD acidified with additional citric acid.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the anticoagulated whole blood has a mean pH of between 6.7 and 7.0.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the anticoagulated whole blood has a mean pH of around 6.8.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of separating the whole blood into at least one component further comprises separating a red blood cell component.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the separating step further comprises leukoreducing the separated red blood cell component.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the separating step further comprises separating the whole blood on the same day the blood was collected.

9. A method of separating red blood cells from previously collected and stored whole blood comprising the steps of:

collecting whole blood in CPD anticoagulant;

storing the anticoagulated whole blood overnight;

loading the anticoagulated whole blood on a rotor;

spinning the rotor to separate the whole blood into at least a red blood cell component;

expanding a hydraulic chamber on the rotor to squeeze the blood on the rotor to transfer at least the red blood cell component into a satellite bag; and

increasing the pH of the separated red blood cell component in the satellite bag.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of leukoreducing the red blood cell component having increased pH.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of increasing the pH of the separated red blood cell component further comprises adding a phosphate buffer.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of increasing the pH of the separated red blood cell component further comprises adding a red blood cell storage solution that has an increased pH.

13. A method for separating whole blood into components comprising the steps of:

collecting whole blood into a bag already containing an anticoagulant having an acidic pH;

loading the bag containing the anticoagulant and whole blood onto a rotor;

spinning the rotor to separate the whole blood into a plasma component, a platelet component and a red blood cell component;

expanding a hydraulic chamber on the rotor to squeeze the bag on the rotor to transfer the plasma component into a second satellite bag;

squeezing the bag on the rotor to transfer the platelet component into a first satellite bag; and

squeezing the bag on the rotor to transfer the red blood cell component into a third satellite bag;

further comprising a step of storing the collected whole blood and anticoagulant overnight before the separating step.

14. The method of claim 13 further including the step of increasing the pH of the red blood cell component.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of increasing the pH of the red blood cell component further comprises adding a red blood cell storage solution which has an increased pH to increase the pH of the red blood cells.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising a step of flowing the red blood cell component through a leukoreduction filter.

17. A method of collecting and separating whole blood into more than one component comprising the steps of:

adding an anticoagulant having an acidic pH to a bag for collecting and/or separating whole blood before whole blood is collected in the bag;

collecting whole blood in the bag;

loading the bag containing anticoagulated whole blood on a rotor;

spinning the bag on the rotor to separate the whole blood into more than one component; and

expanding a hydraulic chamber on the rotor to squeeze the bag on the rotor to transfer the more than one component from the separation bag into a satellite bags;

wherein the separating step further comprises separating the whole blood on the day after the blood was collected.