Blood component separation device

1. A method for collecting platelets with a blood component separation device for separating a plurality of blood components from blood sampled from a blood donor comprising:

calculating a predicted platelet recovery rate from a hematocrit value of the blood and a platelet concentration of the blood;

calculating a recommended processing amount of the blood recommended for collecting a target number of units of platelets on the basis of the calculated predicted platelet recovery rate; and

setting the predicted platelet recovery rate calculated from the hematocrit value and the platelet concentration to be smaller by a predetermined value when the blood donor is female than that when the blood donor is male, thereby increasing a number of collection cycles for a female donor as compared to a male donor having the same platelet concentration.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the predetermined value increases as the recommended processing amount of the blood increases.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein

a) a centrifugal separation step of introducing the blood into a centrifuge, and separating the blood into a plurality of blood components;

b) a circulation flow step of introducing plasma among the separated blood components into the centrifuge together with the blood;

c) a circulation and acceleration step of introducing only plasma into the centrifuge while stopping feeding of the blood into the centrifuge after the circulation flow step, allowing plasma to further circulate for a predetermined time, and then accelerating a circulation velocity, to separate and collect platelets by the centrifuge, and

d) a blood returning step of returning blood components that have not been collected to the blood donor after the circulation and acceleration step, are conducted,

the steps a) to d) are conducted as one cycle, and

the operation unit calculates a recommended cycle number as the recommended processing amount of the blood.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

by rotating the separation vessel about an axial center while feeding the blood into a separation vessel, the blood in the separation vessel is separated into a plurality of blood components, and platelets are collected from the plurality of separated blood components.

5. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein

a) a centrifugal separation step of introducing the blood into a centrifuge, and separating the blood into a plurality of blood components;

b) a circulation flow step of introducing plasma among the separated blood components into the centrifuge together with the blood;

c) a circulation and acceleration step of introducing only plasma into the centrifuge while stopping feeding of the blood into the centrifuge after the circulation flow step, allowing plasma to further circulate for a predetermined time, and then accelerating a circulation velocity, to separate and collect platelets by the centrifuge, and

d) a blood returning step of returning blood components that have not been collected to the blood donor after the circulation and acceleration step, are conducted,

the steps a) to d) are conducted as one cycle, and

the operation unit calculates a recommended cycle number as the recommended processing amount of the blood.

6. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the predetermined value increases as the recommended processing amount of the blood increases; and

wherein by rotating the separation vessel about an axial center while feeding the blood into the circular separation vessel, the blood in the separation vessel is separated into a plurality of blood components, and platelets are collected from the plurality of separated blood components.