Miniaturized blood centrifuge having side mounted motor with belt drive

(54) MINIATURIZED BLOOD CENTRIFUGE HAVING SIDE MOUNTED MOTOR WITH BELT DRIVE

(75) Inventor: Victor D. Dolecek, Englewood, CO (US)

(73) Assignee: Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 26 days.

(21) Appl. No.: 09/833,232

(22) Filed: Apr. 9, 2001

(65) Prior Publication Data

US 2002/0147101 Al Oct. 10, 2002

(51) Int. CI.7 B04B 9/10; B04B 7/08;

B04B 1/10; C02F 1/30; B01D 33/15

(52) U.S. CI 494/84; 494/45; 494/42;

494/43; 494/60; 494/56; 210/360.1; 210/360.2;

210/781; 210/782

(58) Field of Search 210/745, 85, 86,

210/94, 97, 143, 739, 782; 422/82.05, 82.06, 105, 107, 108, 82.09; 435/2, 3; 436/55, 164, 165; 494/45, 84

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OTHER PUBLICATIONS

International Search Report, PCT/US02/10721 (Jul. 24, 2002).

Primary Examiner—-W. L. Walker

Assistant Examiner—Krishnan S Menon

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Steven C. Petersen; Sarah

S. O'Rourke; Hogan & Hartson LLP

(57) ABSTRACT

A belt-driven blood centrifuge with side-mounted drive motor for rotating the centrifuge at a rotation speed selected to separate blood components. The centrifuge includes a drive shaft assembly rotated at an input rotation speed and a rotor assembly rotatably linked to the drive shaft assembly rotated at an output rotation speed twice the input rotational speed. A drive motor is provided with a drive pulley to drive a belt, a chain, and the like to provide the motive force to rotate the drive shaft at the input rotation speed. In one embodiment, a belt is provided to contact both the pulley of the drive motor and an outer surface of a rotatable shell of the drive shaft assembly. Abase is included in the centrifuge upon which the drive shaft assembly is mounted. The drive motor is positioned adjacent the drive shaft assembly and mounted on the base.

9 Claims, 39 Drawing Sheets

Page 2

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