Systems and methods for automatically balancing a centrifuge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967389-B2
Application number	US-201615358200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2016
Priority date	Nov 23, 2015
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A centrifuge rotor assembly includes a chamber assembly, a bearing support, and a counterweight that is substantially diametrically opposed to the bearing support with respect to the chamber assembly. The chamber assembly receives a processing chamber of a fluid circuit, while the bearing support receives a portion of an umbilicus that is fluidly connected to the processing chamber. The bearing support and counterweight are rotated about a central axis of the chamber assembly by an electric drive of the centrifuge rotor assembly, with the bearing support and counterweight remaining substantially diametrically opposed to each other with respect to the chamber assembly while being rotated about the central axis. The electric drive may rotate the bearing support and counterweight at a plurality of different speeds, with the counterweight automatically moving with respect to the bearing support between radially innermost and radially outermost positions to balance the centrifuge rotor assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A centrifuge rotor assembly comprising:
a chamber assembly having a central axis and configured to receive at least a portion of a processing chamber of a fluid circuit;
a bearing support configured to receive a portion of an umbilicus fluidly connected to the processing chamber;
a counterweight positioned substantially diametrically opposed to the bearing support with respect to the chamber assembly; and
an electric drive configured to rotate the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis at a plurality of different rotational speeds, wherein
the bearing support and the counterweight are configured to remain substantially diametrically opposed to each other with respect to the chamber assembly during rotation of the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis,
the counterweight is automatically movable with respect to the bearing support between a radially innermost position and a radially outermost position during rotation of the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis,
the position of the counterweight depends at least in part on the rotational speed at which the bearing support and the counterweight are rotated about the central axis, and
the counterweight is configured to automatically move to a different radial position during rotation of the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis in response to a change in the radial and/or axial position of at least a portion of the umbilicus with respect to the central axis.

2. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the counterweight is configured to be positioned at said radially outermost position when the electric drive is rotating the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis at a maximum rotational speed.

3. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the counterweight is configured to be positioned at said radially innermost position when the electric drive is rotating the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis at a minimum rotational speed.

4. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the counterweight is configured to be positioned between said radially innermost position and said radially outermost position when the electric drive is rotating the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis at a rotational speed between a maximum rotational speed and a minimum rotational speed.

5. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a yoke cross member including a pair of wing plates, wherein the bearing support is associated with one of the wing plates and the counterweight is associated with the other one of the wing plates.

6. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a resilient member associated with the counterweight and configured to bias the counterweight toward the radially innermost position.

7. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 6 , wherein said resilient member comprises a spring.

8. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically driven positioning member associated with the counterweight and operable to move the counterweight between the radially innermost and radially outermost positions.

9. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 8 , wherein the positioning member comprises an electrical worm drive servo.

10. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the counterweight is infinitely positionable between the radially innermost and radially outermost positions.

11. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the counterweight is positionable in a defined number of positions between the radially innermost and radially outermost positions.

12. A centrifuge rotor assembly comprising:
a chamber assembly having a central axis and configured to receive at least a portion of a processing chamber of a fluid circuit;
a bearing support configured to receive a portion of an umbilicus fluidly connected to the processing chamber;
a counterweight positioned substantially diametrically opposed to the bearing support with respect to the chamber assembly; and
an electric drive configured to rotate the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis at a plurality of different rotational speeds, wherein
the bearing support and the counterweight are configured to remain substantially diametrically opposed to each other with respect to the chamber assembly during rotation of the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis,
the counterweight is automatically movable along a counterweight support with respect to the bearing support between a radially innermost position and a radially outermost position during rotation of the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis,
the position of the counterweight depends at least in part on the rotational speed at which the bearing support and the counterweight are rotated about the central axis, and
the counterweight is movable along the counterweight support in a direction having an axial component defined by the counterweight support when moving to a more radially outward position and/or to a more radially inward position.

13. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 12 , wherein the counterweight is configured to be positioned between said radially innermost position and said radially outermost position when the electric drive is rotating the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis at a rotational speed between a maximum rotational speed and a minimum rotational speed.

14. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a yoke cross member including a pair of wing plates, wherein the bearing support is associated with one of the wing plates and the counterweight is associated with the other one of the wing plates.

15. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a resilient member associated with the counterweight and configured to bias the counterweight toward the radially innermost position.

16. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 12 , further comprising an electrically driven positioning member associated with the counterweight and operable to move the counterweight between the radially innermost and radially outermost positions.

17. The centrifuge rotor assembly of claim 12 , wherein the counterweight is infinitely positionable between the radially innermost and radially outermost positions.

18. A centrifuge rotor assembly comprising:
a chamber assembly having a central axis and configured to receive at least a portion of a processing chamber of a fluid circuit;
a bearing support configured to receive a portion of an umbilicus fluidly connected to the processing chamber;
a counterweight positioned substantially diametrically opposed to the bearing support with respect to the chamber assembly; and
an electric drive configured to rotate the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis at a plurality of different rotational speeds, wherein
the bearing support and the counterweight are configured to remain substantially diametrically opposed to each other with respect to the chamber assembly during rotation of the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis,
the counterweight is automatically movable along a counterweight support with respect to the bearing support between a radially innermost position and a radially outermost position during rotation of the bearing support and the counterweight about the central axis,
the position of the counterweight depe

Assignees

• Fenwal Inc

Inventors

• West Richard L
• Lynn Daniel R

Classifications

• B04B2005/0492

  with fluid conveying umbilicus between stationary and rotary centrifuge parts · CPC title

• B04B5/0442

  with means for adding or withdrawing liquid substances during the centrifugation, e.g. continuous centrifugation · CPC title

• B04B9/14 Primary

  Balancing rotary bowls (balancing per se G01M); {Schrappers} · CPC title

• B04B9/12

  Suspending rotary bowls {; Bearings; Packings for bearings} · CPC title

• A61M1/3693

  using separation based on different densities of components, e.g. centrifuging · CPC title