Multi-unit blood processor with volume prediction

1. Apparatus for predicting the volume of a separated component from a composite fluid comprising:

a rotor having at least one separation cavity and at least one collection cavity for centrifugally separating the composite fluid into a first separated component and at least a second separated component;

a pressure sensor in a wall of the separation cavity, the pressure sensor comprising a flexible membrane that moves in response to pressure changes in the cavity and such membrane being connected to a pressure transducer;

an expandable chamber in the at least one separation cavity, the expandable chamber being connected to a hydraulic circuit, wherein a pressure gauge is connected to the hydraulic circuit for measuring hydraulic pressure therein;

a separation bag containing a composite fluid in the at least one separation cavity, wherein the pressure sensor detects a pressure amount due to the composite fluid in the separation bag;

at least one collection bag in the collection cavity;

tubing connecting the separation bag to the at least one collection bag;

a first sensor for detecting components in the tubing;

a second sensor for detecting changes in separated components in the separation bag;

a controller for:

predicting the volume of the composite fluid from the pressure amount detected by the pressure sensor;

determining the volume of any separated component passing from the separation bag through the tubing to the collection bag from the detections by the first and second sensors; and

predicting the volume of any separated component remaining in the separation bag from the volume prediction of the composite fluid and the volume prediction of the separated component passing from the separation bag to the collection bag.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second sensors are optical sensors.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the expandable chamber is part of a squeezing system for squeezing the separation bag to transfer separated components to the collection bag.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the composite fluid is whole blood, the first component is plasma, and the second component is red blood cells.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rotor centrifugally separates the composite fluid into a first separated component, a second separated component and a third separated component and the composite fluid is whole blood, the first component is plasma, the second component is red blood cells, and the third component is a platelet component.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the expandable chamber is part of a squeezing system for squeezing the separation bag to transfer separated components to the collection bag, and wherein the plasma component is transferred from the separation bag to a plasma collection bag and the platelet component is transferred from the separation bag to a platelet collection bag.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first sensor detects the leading edge of the first separated component.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first sensor is located to detect fluid in the tube.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second sensor detects the trailing edge of a separated component by detecting another component.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second sensor is located on a wall of the separation cavity.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rotor comprises at least one additional separation cavity and at least one additional collection cavity to separate more than one composite fluid on the rotor.