GAS FILTER SYSTEMS FOR FLUID PROCESSING SYSTEMS

• US 20150265958A1
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brown, Jason D., Staheli, Clinton C., Jones, Nephi D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,688,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0005 Mounting of filtering elements within casings, housings or frames B01D46/2422 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/58 connected in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/2312 Diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/231262 having disc shape
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/2121 composed of interconnected parts
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/88 with a separate receptacle-stirrer unit that is adapted to be coupled to a drive mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/90 with paddles or arms
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/146 Working under sterile conditions; Sterilizing the mixer or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/513 Flexible receptacles, e.g. bags supported by rigid containers
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/14 Bags
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 27/02 Stirrer or mobile mixing elements
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/06 Nozzles; Sprayers; Spargers; Diffusers per se B01F23/231, B01J19/26
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 37/02 Filters

Abstract

A filter assembly includes a casing having of a polymeric film and bounding a compartment, the casing having an inlet opening communicating with the compartment and a first outlet opening communicating with the compartment. A first filter includes a porous filter body through which gas can pass and has a pore size smaller than 1 μm, the first filter being coupled with the casing so that the filter body is at least partially disposed within compartment of the casing and so that gas passing through the compartment of the casing from the inlet opening to the first outlet opening must pass through the filter body.

Claims

1. A filter assembly comprising:

a casing comprised of a polymeric film and bounding a compartment, the casing having an inlet opening communicating with the compartment and a first outlet opening communicating with the compartment; and

a first filter comprising a porous filter body through which gas can pass and which has a pore size smaller than 1 μ

m, the first filter being coupled with the casing so that the filter body is at least partially disposed within compartment of the casing and so that gas passing through the compartment of the casing from the inlet opening to the first outlet opening must pass through the filter body.

2. The filter assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the casing comprises a collapsible polymeric bag.

3. The filter assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the casing will fail by rupture when the compartment is filled with a gas so as to have a gas pressure greater than 50 kPa.

4. The filter assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising an intake port bounding a port opening, the intake port being coupled with the inlet opening of the casing so that the port opening communicates with the compartment of the casing.

5. The filter assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein the port opening of the intake port has a maximum transverse diameter that is greater than 4 cm.

6. The filter assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein the inlet port if molded from a polymer and is more rigid than the casing.

7. The filter assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the compartment of the casing is sterile.

8. The filter assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising a first exhaust port bounding a port opening, the first exhaust port being coupled with the first outlet opening of the casing with the first filter being coupled to the first exhaust port.

9. The filter assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein the first filter is removably coupled to the first exhaust port.

10. The filter assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein the port opening of the first exhaust port has a maximum diameter that is greater than 5 cm.

11. The filter assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein the casing comprises a tubular first sleeve having a first end with the inlet opening formed thereat and an opposing second end with the first outlet opening formed thereat.

12. The filter assembly as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

the casing comprising a tubular second sleeve having a first end coupled with the first sleeve at a location between in the inlet opening and the first outlet opening and an opposing second end with a second outlet opening formed thereat; and

a second filter comprising a porous filter body through which gas can pass but which has a pore size of 0.22 μ

m or smaller, the second filter being coupled with the second outlet opening of the casing so that the filter body of the second filter is at least partially disposed within the second sleeve.

13. The filter assembly as recited in claim 12, further comprising a clamp extending across a portion of the second sleeve so that gas entering the compartment of the casing through the inlet opening can access the first filter in the first sleeve but cannot access the second filter in the second sleeve.

14. The filter assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

the filter body of the first filter having an elongated cylindrical configuration with an exterior surface; and

the casing comprising an elongated first sleeve having an interior surface that encircles the filter body, a gap being formed between the exterior surface of the filter body and the interior surface of the casing when the casing is inflated that is in a range between about 0.2 cm and 3 cm.

15. The filter assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

the casing comprising;

a tubular manifold communicating with the inlet opening; and

a first sleeve having a first end coupled with the manifold and an opposing second end having the first outlet opening formed, the filter body of the first filter being at least partially disposed within the first sleeve; and

a second sleeve having a first end coupled with the manifold and an opposing second end having a second outlet opening formed thereat;

a second filter coupled with the second outlet opening and being at least partially disposed within the second sleeve.

16. The filter assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising a first flexible bag bounding a compartment, the first flexible bag being coupled with the inlet opening of the casing so that the compartment of first flexible bag communicates with the compartment of the casing.

17. The filter assembly as recited in claim 16, further comprising a second flexible bag bounding a compartment, the second flexible bag being coupled with the first flexible bag so that the compartment of second flexible bag communicates with the compartment of the first flexible bag.

18. The filter assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising a tubular fill line coupled with the casing at a location between the inlet opening and the first outlet opening.

19. A method for filter a gas comprising:

coupling a first flexible bag comprised of polymeric film to the inlet opening of the filter assembly as recited in claim 1;

passing a gas from the first flexible bag to the case so that the gas passes through the inlet opening, through the body of the first filter and through the outlet opening.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising cooling the gas within the first flexible bag so that moisture within the gas condenses into a fluid within first flexible bag.

21. A method for filtering a gas comprising:

passing a gas into a compartment of a casing comprised of a polymeric film, the casing comprising;

a first sleeve having a first outlet opening, a first filter being at least partially disposed within the first sleeve so that gas passing through the first sleeve must pass through the first filter; and

a second sleeve having an second outlet opening, a second filter being at least partially disposed within the second sleeve so that gas passing through the second sleeve must pass through the second filter, the second sleeve being closed so that the gas passing into the compartment of the casing passes through the first sleeve and the first filter but not through the second sleeve; and

opening the second sleeve when a predetermined condition is met so that the gas passes through the second sleeve and the second filter.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein opening the second sleeve comprises removing a clamp extending across a portion of the casing comprised of the polymeric film.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the clamp is removed either manually or automatically when the predetermined condition is met.

24. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising sensing, either directly or indirectly, the pressure of the gas within the compartment of the casing, the predetermined condition comprising the sensed pressure of the gas reaching a predetermined pressure level.

25. A method for filtering a gas comprising:

passing a gas through a compartment of a filter assembly, the filter assembly comprising;

a casing bounding the compartment and having an inlet opening through which the gas is introduced and a first sleeve with a first outlet opening, the casing being comprised of a polymeric film; and

a first filter at least partially disposed within the first sleeve so that gas passing from the inlet opening to the first outlet opening must pass through the first filter;

forming a first seal across a first section of the casing at a location between the inlet opening and the first filter so that a first sub-compartment is formed within the casing between the first filter and the first seal; and

severing the casing either along the first seal or at a location between the first seal and the inlet opening so as to separate a first portion of the filter assembly from the remainder of the filter assembly, the first portion including the first sub-compartment and the first filter.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the step of forming the seal comprises forming a weld seal across the portion of the casing.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the step of severing comprises cutting the casing along the weld seal so as to bisect the weld seal.

28. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the step of forming the seal comprises placing a clamp across the portion of the casing.

29. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the filter assembly further comprises:

the casing comprising a second sleeve with a second outlet opening; and

a second filter at least partially disposed within the second sleeve so that gas passing from the inlet opening to the second outlet opening must pass through the second filter, the second sleeve and the second filter not comprising a portion of the first portion of the filter assembly.

30. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

forming a second seal across a second section of the casing at a location between the inlet opening and the second filter so that a second sub-compartment is formed within the casing between the second filter and the second seal; and

severing the casing either along the second seal or at a location between the second seal and the inlet opening so as to separate a second portion of the filter assembly from the remainder of the filter assembly.

31. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

dispensing a gas into the sub-compartment; and

testing the integrity of the first filter using the gas dispensed in the sub-compartment.