CO-SINTERED POLYMER STRUCTURES

• US 20100108608A1
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Porvair Filtration Group Ltd. (Porvair PLC)
• Original Assignee: Porvair Filtration Group Ltd. (Porvair PLC)
• Inventors: Cowieson, David Richard
• Application Number:
  US12/440,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20100108608A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/660
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/26 Synthetic macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/268 Polymers created by use of a template, e.g. molecularly imprinted polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28004 Sorbent size or size distribution, e.g. particle size
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28016 Particle form
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28026 Particles within, immobilised, dispersed, entrapped in or on a matrix, e.g. a resin
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28052 Several layers of identical or different sorbents stacked in a housing, e.g. in a column
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28054 characterised by their surface properties or porosity
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2220/64 In a syringe, pipette, e.g. tip or in a tube, e.g. test-tube or u-shape tube
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/24 by surface fusion and bonding of particles to form voids, e.g. sintering of expandable particles C08J9/232

Abstract

A co-sintered porous polymer includes at least one molecule specific powder for adsorbing at least one target molecule from a complex liquid mixture when the liquid is passed through the porous co-sintered polymer. The co-sintered polymer can include a sintered porous polyethylene substrate. The or each molecule specific powder can be an immobilising adsorbent powder, for example a molecularly imprinted polymer or a rationally designed polymer.

Claims

1. A co-sintered porous polymer comprising a porous polymer substrate and a molecule specific powder immobilised therein.

2. The co-sintered porous polymer of claim 1 comprising the porous polymer substrate and a plurality of molecule specific powders immobilised therein.

3. The co-sintered polymer of claim 1, wherein the porous polymer substrate comprises polyethylene.

4. The co-sintered polymer of, claim 1, wherein a said molecule specific powder has been formulated with specific adsorbent properties.

5. The co-sintered polymer of claim 1, wherein a said molecule specific powder comprises molecularly imprinted polymers.

6. The co-sintered polymer of claim 5, wherein said molecule specific powder comprises ground molecularly imprinted polymers.

7. The co-sintered polymer of claim 1, wherein a said molecule specific powder comprises rationally designed polymers.

8. The co-sintered polymer of claim 7, wherein said molecule specific powder comprises ground rationally designed polymers.

9. The co-sintered polymer of claim 1, having a particle size in the range of 30 μ

m to 500 μ

m.

10. A frit comprising the co-sintered porous polymer of claim 1.

11. A solid phase extraction apparatus comprising the co-sintered porous polymer of claim 1.

12. The solid phase extraction apparatus of claim 11, comprising a cartridge comprising the co-sintered porous polymer of claim 1.

13. The solid phase extraction apparatus of claim 11, comprising a column comprising the co-sintered porous polymer of claim 1.

14. The solid phase extraction apparatus of claim 11, comprising at least one frit according to claim 10.

15. The solid phase extraction apparatus of claim 11, comprising a plurality of frits according to claim 10, wherein at least one frit comprises a co-sintered porous polymer that is different from the co-sintered polymer of at least one other frit.

16. A method of adsorbing at least one specific molecule, comprising passing a fluid containing the module through a solid phase extraction apparatus of claim 11.

17. A method of manufacturing a co-sintered polymer of claim 1 comprising mixing a polymer for forming a substrate and a molecule specific powder and applying a sintering process to the mixture.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising mixing a polymer for forming a substrate and a plurality of molecule specific powders and applying a sintering process to the mixture.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the sintering process encapsulates and immobilises the molecule specific powder.