A device for separating blood into individual components and/or groups of components, in the form of a sterilizable system includes a filter arrangement forming inlet and outlet chambers using filter elements arranged therein, and respective receptacles for cellular blood components and for blood plasma. The inlet chamber can be connected to the blood source via a line on the inlet side to conduct the blood and is connected, on the outlet side, to the cellular blood components receptacle. The outlet chamber is connected to the blood plasma receptacle via a line on the outlet side. Thermal sterilization is used to sterilize the device by opening a respective line into the inlet-side line of the inlet chamber, into the inlet chamber and the outlet-side line of the outlet chamber, or into the outlet chamber, the line being connected to the exterior via a hydrophobic or hydrophilic filter.
