Blood processing apparatus with cell capture chamber with protruding inlet

1. A blood cell collection system comprising

a centrifuge rotor;

a blood processing chamber mounted on said rotor;

a generally frustro-conical cell separation chamber in fluid communication with said processing chamber;

the cell separation chamber having an inlet and an outlet and an inner wall defining a separation area within said cell separation chamber said inlet being connected to said blood processing chamber and,

a protruding inlet within said cell separation chamber, said protruding inlet being in fluid communication with said inlet, said protruding inlet extending into the separation area and being spaced away from said inner wall.

2. The blood cell collection system of claim 1 wherein said protruding inlet has a generally frustro-conical inner surface that slants radially outwardly from said inlet to a mouth of said protruding inlet, said mouth opening into said separation area.

3. The blood cell collection system of claim 1 wherein said cell separation chamber further comprises a circumferential well between said protruding inlet and said inner wall.

4. The blood cell collection system of claim 1 wherein said cell separation chamber further comprises a baffle within said separation area.

5. The blood cell collection system of claim 4 wherein said baffle comprises a plurality of vanes.

6. The blood cell collection system of claim 5 wherein said vanes are radially symmetrically aligned around an axis of said cell separation chamber.

7. The blood cell collection system of claim 4 wherein said baffle has openings therein.

8. The blood cell collection system of claim 7 wherein said openings are holes.

9. The blood cell collection system of claim 7 wherein said openings are slots.

10. The blood cell collection system of claim 4 wherein said baffle has a bottom edge, said bottom edge being spaced away from said protruding inlet.

11. The blood cell collection system of claim 4 wherein said baffle has an upper edge, said upper edge being spaced away from said outlet.

12. The blood cell collection system of claim 3 further comprising a recirculation channel fluidly coupling said well to at least said protruding inlet.

13. The blood cell collection system of claim 12 further comprising a pipe fluidly coupling said inlet and said protruding inlet, said recirculation channel being connected to said protruding inlet through said pipe.

14. The blood cell collection system of claim 13 further comprising a initial separation area, said initial separation area having a generally frustro-conical shape and being in fluid communication with said inlet and said pipe.

15. The blood cell collection system of claim 1 further comprising a initial separation area, said initial separation area having a generally frustro-conical shape and being in fluid communication with said inlet and a pipe fluidly connecting said separation area and said initial separation area.

16. A disposable blood separation set comprising

a blood processing chamber adapted to be mounted on a rotor of a centrifuge;

a rigid, generally frustro-conical cell separation chamber in fluid communication with said processing chamber;

the cell separation chamber having an inlet and an outlet and an inner wall defining a separation area within said cell separation chamber, said inlet being connected to said blood processing chamber, and

a protruding inlet in said cell separation chamber, said protruding inlet being in fluid communication with said inlet, said protruding inlet extending into the separation area and being spaced away from said inner wall.

17. The disposable blood separation set of claim 16 wherein said protruding inlet has a generally frustro-conical inner surface that slants radially outwardly from said inlet to a mouth of said protruding inlet, said mouth opening into said separation area.

18. The disposable blood separation set of claim 16 wherein said cell separation chamber further comprises a circumferential well between said protruding inlet and said inner wall.

19. The disposable blood separation set of claim 16 wherein said cell separation chamber further comprises a baffle within said separation area.

20. The disposable blood separation set of claim 19 wherein said baffle comprises a plurality of vanes.

21. The disposable blood separation set of claim 20 wherein said vanes are radially symmetrically aligned around an axis of said cell separation chamber.

22. The disposable blood separation set of claim 20 wherein said baffle has openings therein.

23. The disposable blood separation set of claim 22 wherein said openings are holes.

24. The disposable blood separation set of claim 22 wherein said openings are slots.

25. The disposable blood separation set of claim 20 wherein said baffle has a bottom edge, said bottom edge being spaced away from said protruding inlet.

26. The disposable blood separation set of claim 20 wherein said baffle has an upper edge, said upper edge being spaced away from said outlet.

27. The disposable blood separation set of claim of claim 18 further comprising a recirculation channel fluidly coupling said well to at least said protruding inlet.

28. The disposable blood separation set of claim 27 a pipe fluidly coupling said inlet and said protruding inlet, said recirculation channel being connected to said protruding inlet through said pipe.

29. The disposable blood separation set of claim 28 further comprising a initial separation area, said initial separation area having a generally frustro-conical shape and being in fluid communication with said inlet and said pipe.

30. The disposable blood separation set of claim 16 further comprising a initial separation area, said initial separation area having a generally frustro-conical shape and being in fluid communication with said inlet and a pipe fluidly connecting said separation area and said initial separation area.