US 12171916

Summary of U.S. Patent 12,171,916

A thorough review of U.S. Patent 12,171,916 has been conducted. As of April 26, 2026, no records of this patent were found in the 2026 dockets of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC).

Title: System and method for collecting plasma

Assignee: Haemonetics Corp

Inventors: Michael Ragusa

Filing Date: March 18, 2021

Issue Date: December 24, 2024

Abstract:
The patent describes a method for collecting plasma from a donor. The method involves determining the donor's weight and hematocrit, and then using a venous-access device to withdraw blood. Anticoagulant is introduced into the withdrawn blood, which is then separated into a plasma component and a second blood component by a blood component separation device. The plasma component is collected in a plasma collection container. The method includes calculating the percentage of anticoagulant in the collected plasma and the volume of "pure plasma." This process continues until a target volume of pure plasma is collected.

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Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

U.S. Patent 12,171,916 has four independent claims: 1, 7, 10, and 14. Below is a plain-language explanation of each.

Independent Claim 1: This claim describes a system for collecting plasma from a donor. The system includes a needle, a blood separator, tubing, pumps for blood and anticoagulant, and a user interface. A key feature is a controller that receives the donor's weight and hematocrit. The controller operates the system in a "draw and return" cycle, where blood is drawn, separated, and the non-plasma components are returned to the donor. The controller is programmed to re-evaluate the donor's hematocrit and adjust the target collection volume for plasma during the procedure to account for changes in the donor's blood.

Independent Claim 7: This claim also outlines a plasma collection system with similar physical components to claim 1, including a touchscreen interface. The controller in this system is programmed to receive a donor's weight and hematocrit to determine a target collection volume for either the total plasma product (including anticoagulant) or the "raw" (pure) plasma. It then operates the system in "draw and return" phases to collect the plasma.

Independent Claim 10: This claim focuses on a plasma collection system where the controller, coupled with a touchscreen, determines a target volume for the total plasma product (which includes both raw plasma and anticoagulant). This target volume is calculated before the blood withdrawal process begins, based on an anticoagulant ratio and the donor's weight and hematocrit. The system then performs multiple "draw and return" cycles to collect this predetermined volume.

Independent Claim 14: This claim details a plasma collection system where a controller receives donor parameters, such as weight and hematocrit, electronically from a separate control system. Based on these parameters, the controller determines a target volume for the plasma product or raw plasma. The system then operates in "draw and return" phases to collect the plasma. This claim highlights the system's ability to be integrated with and receive data from an external control system.