All plasma extractors enable the separation of plasma from whole blood bags. Centrifuged whole blood bags are placed behind the clear plexiglass of the extractor. The bags are placed with the plasma on top. For laboratories needing efficient separation tools, choosing the right plasma extractor is essential.
The cannula on top of the bag is broken first, using a pulling or pushing force. For this process, make sure the cannula line is completely open to speed up the extraction process. The plasma extractor lever is then released to press the plasma towards the top of the bag. The pressing force of the spring-loaded lever is 20 newtons or greater.
The plasma expresser lever is disengaged or pulled back once all visible plasma is removed from the blood components bag. The lever is held open by a holding knob or hook. In fact, various plasma extractor models feature full rotational levers that swing left or right to engage or disengage the holding mechanism.
Generally, some plasma may not be removed. This prevents red cells from being removed from the whole blood bag. When using a plasma extractor, red cells in plasma bags are not desired due to visual, freezing and graft versus host issues.