US 12,076,731 B2
Centrifuges and centrifuge inserts for fluid processing systems
Gregory G. Pieper, Waukegan, IL (US); Salvatore Manzella, Jr., Barrington, IL (US); Brian C. Case, Lake Villa, IL (US); Steven R Katz, Deerfield, IL (US); and Kyungyoon Min, Kildeer, IL (US)
Assigned to Fenwal, Inc., Lake Zurich, IL (US)
Filed by Fenwal, Inc., Lake Zurich, IL (US)
Filed on Jun. 2, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/336,394.
Application 15/062,323 is a division of application No. 13/750,232, filed on Jan. 25, 2013, granted, now 9,327,296, issued on May 3, 2016.
Application 17/336,394 is a continuation of application No. 16/790,815, filed on Feb. 14, 2020, granted, now 11,052,408.
Application 16/790,815 is a continuation of application No. 15/943,877, filed on Apr. 3, 2018, granted, now 10,596,579, issued on Mar. 24, 2020.
Application 15/943,877 is a continuation of application No. 15/062,323, filed on Mar. 7, 2016, granted, now 9,968,946, issued on May 15, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/720,518, filed on Oct. 31, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/591,655, filed on Jan. 27, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2021/0291200 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. B04B 7/08 (2006.01); B04B 5/04 (2006.01)
CPC B04B 7/08 (2013.01) [B04B 5/0442 (2013.01); B04B 2005/045 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A centrifuge for rotation about an axis in a fluid processing system to generate a centrifugal field, comprising:
a bowl defining an open interior;
a drive system configured to rotate the bowl about the axis; and
an insert at least partially positioned within the interior of the bowl and removable from the bowl, wherein
the insert defines at least a portion of a radially outer surface of a non-annular gap configured to receive at least a portion of a fluid separation chamber,
the gap includes a first section having a generally uniform radius about the axis and a second section having a non-uniform radius about the axis, and
the insert is configured to not come into direct contact with a fluid to be separated within the centrifuge and/or a separated fluid component within the centrifuge.