Guest Editor's Introduction: Most of the continuous flow centrifuge devices utilized a rotary seal, typically consisting of a pair of discoid structures, one of which moves with the rotor while the other remains stationary. Although the rotary seals had been satisfactorily used in various techniques such as countercurrent elutriation and field‐flow fractionation, when applied for blood processing, a sealless structure is more preferable to prevent cellular damage. This paper was concerned with the first flow‐through centrifuge without rotating seals, and describes the principle and basic designs of a sealless continuous flow centrifuge. This paper was printed in Science vol. 189, page 999–1000 (1975), and reprinted here with permission.
The flow-through centrifuge eliminates complications arising from rotating seals. Preliminary studies on plasmapheresis demonstrated negligible platelet injury and no evidence of hemolysis during 12 hours of operation. Thus the system may provide a broad application to cell washing and elutriation, zonal centrifugation, and countercurrent chromatography.
Isolated lamb hearts were perfused for eight hours at 38 degrees with stroma-free hemoglobin solution (SFHS). The preservation of cardiac structure and function was studied. Control hearts perfused with blood (N = 6) developed no ventricular failure or significant weight gain (13% +/- 5), showed no alteration of cellular ultrastructure, and little interstitial edema. Hearts perfused with 7% (N = 7) or 11% (N = 5) SFHS contracted less well, became edematous (22% and 44% weight gain) and showed altered mitochondria, capillary endothelial swelling and hemoglobin extravasation into the interstitial space. The addition of 5-7% albumin to SFHS (N = 9) markedly reduced interstitial edema (weight gain 11% +/- 13), preserved mitochondria, prevented endothelial swelling, and limited transcapillary escape of hemoglobin. Thus isolated hearts perfused with SFHS develop vascular endothelial damage and an increase in capillary permeability. The addition of plasma proteins to the perfusate protects against this injury.
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