IP Library Granted Patent US 7,951,059
Granted Patent B2
US 7,951,059 · App. 12/233,185 · Granted May 31, 2011

Blood processing apparatus with optical reference control

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,951,059
App. No.
12/233,185
Granted
May 31, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A density centrifuge blood processing system with automatic two-dimensional optical control of fluid separation by observing fluid characteristics in observation regions. The location of the regions is determined by monitoring an optical reference. Points representing edges of an optical reference are measured and lines are computed through the points. An error measurement is calculated for each line. If the error is too large, the image is abandoned. One of the lines is selected as a referent line. A new line is calculated orthogonal to the referent line. The error function is again computed for the dependant line. If the error exceeds a selected maximum, the frame is discarded. A transformation function translates data points from an (r, s) domain derived from measurements of the edges into an (x, y) domain used to identify pixels in the observation areas.

Claims (48)

1. A method for controlling a centrifuge blood processing system for separating fluid components comprising:

rotating a separation chamber about a central rotation axis, said separation chamber having an optical reference mounted thereon,

detecting a plurality of observations from said an observation region with a first detector;

distinguishing said optical reference,

establishing a two-dimensional co-ordinate domain with respect to said optical reference,

and gathering data correlated to said co-ordinate domain from said observations of said observation region as detected by said first detector, and

controlling fluid flow in said blood processing system in response to said data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising rejecting an observation of said separation chamber if an error measurement of said optical reference is not within a pre-selected error limit for said optical reference.

3. A method for controlling a centrifuge blood processing system for separating fluid components comprising:

rotating a separation chamber about a central rotation axis, said separation chamber having an optical reference mounted thereon,

detecting a plurality of observations from an observation region with a first detector;

distinguishing said optical reference,

establishing reference co-ordinates,

gathering data from said observations of said observation region as detected by said first detector,

rejecting an observation of said separation chamber if an error measurement of said optical reference is not within a pre-selected error limit for measurement of said optical reference,

translating said data from said observation region from a first co-ordinate domain into a second co-ordinate domain, and

controlling fluid flow in said blood processing system in response to said translated data.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising rejecting an observation of said separation chamber if translated data representing said optical reference is not within a pre-selected error limit for said translated data.

5. A method for controlling a centrifuge blood processing system for separating fluid components comprising:

rotating a separation chamber about a central rotation axis, said separation chamber having an optical reference mounted thereon,

detecting a plurality of observations from an observation region with a first detector;

distinguishing said optical reference, said optical reference comprising at least two non-parallel sides,

recognizing a first side represented by a first line,

fitting a second line to a second side according to a known angle between said first side and said second side,

establishing reference co-ordinates,

gathering data from said observations of said observation region as detected by said first detector, and

controlling fluid flow in said blood processing system in response to said data.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising translating said data from said observation region from a first co-ordinate domain into a second co-ordinate domain.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising rejecting an observation of said separation chamber if translated data representing said optical reference is not within a pre-selected error limit for said translated data.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising rejecting an observation of said separation chamber if data representing an edge of said optical reference are not within a pre-selected error limit for said edge.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising

computing an error measurement for each of said first and second sides and

selecting the side with the least error measurement as a referent line.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising computing a dependant line for the side with the greater error measurement.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising

computing an error measurement for the dependant line and

rejecting an observation of said separation chamber if the error measurement for the dependant line is not within a pre-selected error limit for the dependant line.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein the first and second sides are orthogonal to each other.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising rejecting an observation of said separation chamber if data representing an edge of said optical reference are not within a pre-selected error limit for the edge.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising

computing an error measurement for each of said first and second sides and

selecting the side with the least error measurement as a referent line.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising computing a dependant line for the side with the greater error measurement.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising

computing an error measurement for the dependant line and

rejecting an observation of said separation chamber if the error measurement for the dependant line is not within a pre-selected error limit for the dependant line.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising translating said data from said observation region from a first co-ordinate domain into a second co-ordinate domain.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising rejecting an observation of said separation chamber if translated data representing said optical reference is not within a pre-selected error limit for said translated data.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 7, 2012
From: CARIDIANBCT, INC.
To: TERUMO BCT, INC.
Reel/Frame 027668/0072 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2011
From: CITICORP TRUSTEE COMPANY LIMITED, AS SECURITY AGENT
To: CARIDIANBCT, INC.
Reel/Frame 026737/0476 →
IP SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT Recorded May 21, 2009
From: CARIDIANBCT, INC.
To: CITICORP TRUSTREE COMPANY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 022714/0543 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2008
From: SWEAT, WILLIAM
To: CARIDIANBCT, INC.
Reel/Frame 021551/0722 →