Hollow fiber filter having a porous collar/ring seal
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus comprising:
- (a) a casing defining an interior chamber for encasing a bundle of hollow fibers, said casing having at least one end with an inner, lateral, annular lip proximal to said end;
(b) an annular porous collar having first and second peripheral edges, said annular porous collar including pores having a pore size distribution from about 5 μ
m to about 500 μ
m,wherein at least one of said peripheral edges is coupled to said casing along said inner, lateral, annular lip; and
(c) a bundle of hollow fibers disposed within said interior chamber, said bundle of hollow fibers having a first bundle end and a second bundle end, wherein at least one of said bundle ends is rigidly disposed within a potting plug of fluid impermeable material;
wherein said fluid impermeable material of said potting plug, said casing and said annular porous collar are sealingly joined by penetration of said fluid impermeable material through said pores of said annular porous collar.
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Abstract
A unique hollow fiber filter cartridge that allows repeated autoclaving without any deleterious breaks in sealing integrity between the potted fiber bundle and the filter module is disclosed. The unique filter cartridge braodly includes a casing that has at least one open end with an inner lip in the casing proximal to the open end; and a porous collar that has first and second peripheral edges, at least one of which is coupled to the casing along the inner ledge.
142 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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(a) a casing defining an interior chamber for encasing a bundle of hollow fibers, said casing having at least one end with an inner, lateral, annular lip proximal to said end; (b) an annular porous collar having first and second peripheral edges, said annular porous collar including pores having a pore size distribution from about 5 μ
m to about 500 μ
m,wherein at least one of said peripheral edges is coupled to said casing along said inner, lateral, annular lip; and (c) a bundle of hollow fibers disposed within said interior chamber, said bundle of hollow fibers having a first bundle end and a second bundle end, wherein at least one of said bundle ends is rigidly disposed within a potting plug of fluid impermeable material; wherein said fluid impermeable material of said potting plug, said casing and said annular porous collar are sealingly joined by penetration of said fluid impermeable material through said pores of said annular porous collar. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A hollow fiber filter module assembly connected in series, each of said modules comprising:
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(a) a casing defining an interior chamber for encasing a bundle of hollow fibers, said casing having first and second open ends with at least one inner, lateral, annular lip proximal to at least one of said open ends; (b) at least one annular porous collar having first and second, peripheral edges, wherein at least one of said peripheral edges is coupled to said casing along said inner, lateral, annular lip; (c) at least one potting plug comprising a fluid impermeable material; (d) a bundle of hollow fibers disposed within said interior chamber, said bundle having first and second bundle ends, wherein at least one of said bundle ends is rigidly disposed within said plug; (e) a central tube defining a filtrate conduit disposed within said bundle of hollow fibers, said conduit having first and second conduit ends; (f) an annular porous ring coupled to at least one of said conduit ends of said central tube; (g) a union adaptor defining an interior fluid collection chamber, said adaptor adapted for connection to said open end of said casing wherein said filtrate conduit of each said module is in fluid communication with said interior fluid collection chamber of said union adaptor of other said modules connected in a series; wherein said fluid impermeable material of said potting plug, said annular porous collar and said annular porous ring are sealingly joined by penetration of said fluid impermeable material into said annular porous collar and said annular porous ring. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A tube defining a filtrate conduit for channeling filtrate comprising:
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(a) a nonpermeable tube defining a filtrate conduit, said tube having first and second conduit ends, each of said first and second conduit ends having an outer peripheral edge; and (b) an annular, porous ring having first and second edges, said annular, porous ring including pores having a pore size distribution from about 5 μ
m to about 500 μ
m, wherein at least one of said edges is coupled to said nonpermeable tube along at least one of said conduit ends on said outer peripheral edge;wherein a fluid impermeable seal is formed by penetration of a fluid impermeable material through said pores of said annular, porous ring. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A hollow fiber filter assembly comprising:
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(a) a casing defining an interior chamber for encasing a bundle of hollow fibers, said casing having at least one end with an inner, lateral, annular lip proximal to said end; (b) a bundle of hollow fibers disposed within said interior chamber, said bundle of hollow fibers having a first bundle end and a second bundle end, wherein at least one of said bundle ends is rigidly disposed within a potting plug of fluid impermeable material; (c) a nonpermeable tube defining a filtrate conduit, said nonpermeable tube having first and second conduit ends, each of said first and second conduit ends having an outer peripheral edge, said nonpermeable tube longitudinally disposed in said hollow fiber bundle; (d) an annular porous ring having first and second edges, said annular porous ring including pores having a pore size distribution from about 5 μ
m to about 500 μ
m, wherein at least one of said edges is coupled to said nonpermeable tube along at least one of said outer peripheral edges;(e) an annular porous collar having first and second peripheral edges, said annular porous collar including pores having a pore size distribution from about 5 μ
m to about 500 μ
m, wherein at least one of said peripheral edges is coupled to said casing along said inner, lateral, annular lip; and(f) at least one of said bundle ends of said hollow fiber bundle rigidly disposed within said fluid impermeable material; wherein said casing, said annular porous collar, said nonpermeable tube and said annular porous ring are sealingly joined by penetration of said fluid impermeable material through said pores of said annular porous collar and said annular porous ring. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification