Methods and apparatus for separation of particles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for separating particles. The invention has particular advantages in connection with separating and purifying progenitor cells or stem cells obtained from bone marrow. The method comprises removing a desired volume of stem cell staring product from a donor/patient and eluting off a first contaminating cell type in a fluid chamber to create an enriched stem cell product.

1 . A method of enriching stem cells comprising the steps of: 
 removing a desired volume of stem cell starting product from a donor/patient to obtain a stem cell starting product;    loading the stem cell starting product into a fluid chamber;    flowing a low density fluid into the loaded stem cell starting product in the fluid chamber;    centrifuging the fluid chamber; and    eluting off a first contaminating cell type from the stem cell starting product in the fluid chamber to create an enriched stem cell product; and    collecting the enriched stem cell product.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising a debulking step to remove a first contaminating cell type from the stem cell starting product.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the debulking step occurs before the eluting step.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising concentrating the enriched stem cell product.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the stem cell starting product further comprises bone marrow.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the stem cell product further comprises peripheral blood.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the stem cell product further comprises umbilical cord blood.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the step of removing bone marrow further comprises filtering the bone marrow.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the filtering step occurs before the loading step.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising eluting off a second contaminating cell type from the starting product in the fluid chamber.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising eluting off a third contaminating cell type from the starting product in the fluid chamber.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising eluting off a fourth contaminating cell type from the starting product in the fluid chamber.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  comprising repeating the loading, flowing, centrifuging, eluting and collecting steps as many times as necessary to obtain the desired number of enriched stem cells.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2  comprising repeating the loading, flowing, debulking, and centrifuging steps as many times as necessary to remove undesired cells before the eluting step.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising repeating the concentrating step as many times as necessary to obtain the desired number of enriched, concentrated stem cells.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the flowing step comprises flowing a low density fluid into the fluid chamber at a flow rate of around 37 mL/min at a volume of around 500 mL.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the first contaminating cell type is red blood cells.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the second contaminating cell type is platelets.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the third contaminating cell type is T-cells.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the fourth contaminating cell type is B-cells.  
     
     
         21 . A method of treating a damaged organ with stem cells collected from bone marrow comprising the steps of: 
 removing a desired volume of bone marrow from a donor/patient to obtain a bone marrow starting product;    loading the bone marrow starting product into a fluid chamber;    flowing a low density fluid into the loaded bone marrow starting product in the fluid chamber;    centrifuging the fluid chamber;    debulking a first contaminating cell type from the bone marrow starting product in the fluid chamber;    eluting off a second contaminating cell type from the bone marrow starting product in the fluid chamber to create an enriched stem cell product;    concentrating the enriched stem cell product to obtain a concentrated, enriched stem cell product; and    injecting the concentrated enriched stem cell product into the damaged organ.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising determining the amount of stem cells needed to treat the damaged organ.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the step of injecting further comprises injecting the concentrated enriched sample into cardiac tissue.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the step of injecting further comprises injecting the concentrated enriched stem cell product intravenously.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the step of injecting further comprises injecting the concentrated enriched stem cell product intramuscularly.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the step of injecting further comprises injecting the concentrated enriched stem cell product both intravenously and intramuscularly.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the step of injecting further comprises injecting the concentrated enriched stem cell product in multiple injections.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the step of injecting further comprises injecting the concentrated enriched stem cell product in a single injection.