| abstract |
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a process for removing red blood cells and a centrifugal tube for blood collection which, when growing and observing cells contained in blood, enable improved detection accuracy of rare cells contained in the blood, almost without lost of these rare cells, even in a blood sample stored for several days, a long time having elapsed from the collection of the blood to the isolation of the red blood cells. The process for removing red blood cells consists in removing red blood cells in a blood sample in order to detect rare cells that may be contained in the blood sample. Said process for removing red blood cells is characterized by comprising : a step (A) for immobilizing the cells contained in the blood sample; and a step (B) for separating in at least two parts the blood sample obtained in step (A), using a density gradient centrifugation method, one part containing a great quantity of red blood cells and the other part containing a great quantity of cells other than red blood cells. |