U.S. bioengineers develop low-cost, hand-powered blood centrifuge

SAN FRANCISCO. KAZINFORM Bioengineers at Stanford University in west coast of the United States have created an ultra-low-cost, hand-powered blood centrifuge with rotational speeds of up to 125,000 revolutions per minute (rpm).

The device, capable of separating blood plasma from red cells in 1.5 minutes, applies the same mechanical principles in a whirligig, which is built by threading a loop of twine through two holes in a button, grabbing the loop ends, then rhythmically pulling. As the twine coils and uncoils, the button spins at a dizzying speed.

In the case of "paperfuge," which is built from paper worth 20 U.S. cents, the spin can exert centrifugal forces of 30,000 Gs.

"To the best of my knowledge, it's the fastest spinning object driven by human power," said Manu Prakash, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford University and senior author of a paper published in the Jan. 10 issue of Nature Biomedical Engineering.