Method for separation of matter from suspension
First Claim
1. A method for filtering filtrate from a cellular suspension comprising the steps offeeding the cellular suspension into a space defined between an inner surface of a stationary housing body and an outer surface of a rotor rotatable within the stationary housing body, the inner surface of the stationary housing body carrying a microporous filter membrane,rotating the rotor at a rate selected to establish annular vortices about the rotor substantially filling the space,passing filtrate through the microporous filter membrane to the inner surface of the housing body, andcollecting filtrate passing through the microporous filter membrane via a conduit in the stationary housing body that communicates with the inner surface of the stationary housing body.
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Abstract
A process for filtration of matter from a liquid suspension through a membrane uses a rotor within a concentric shell rotating with a surface velocity which, together with the rotor-shell gap and suspension viscosity, establishes vigorous vortex cells about the rotor. At least one of the rotor and shell surfaces include a filter membrane. Tangential velocity components at the membrane surface constantly sweep the membrane surface to limit cell deposition tendencies while constantly replenishing the medium to be filtered. The vortex cells are established along the length of the membrane despite the constant extraction of filtrate and the resultant change in physical characteristics of the suspension.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for filtering filtrate from a cellular suspension comprising the steps of
feeding the cellular suspension into a space defined between an inner surface of a stationary housing body and an outer surface of a rotor rotatable within the stationary housing body, the inner surface of the stationary housing body carrying a microporous filter membrane, rotating the rotor at a rate selected to establish annular vortices about the rotor substantially filling the space, passing filtrate through the microporous filter membrane to the inner surface of the housing body, and collecting filtrate passing through the microporous filter membrane via a conduit in the stationary housing body that communicates with the inner surface of the stationary housing body.
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2. A method for filtering a cellular suspension comprising the steps of
feeding the cellular suspension into a space defined between an inner surface of a stationary housing body and an outer surface of a rotor rotatable within the stationary housing body, one of the inner surface and the outer surface carrying a microporous filter membrane, rotating the rotor at a rate selected to establish a vortex action comprising annular vortices within and substantially filling the space, collecting filtrate passing through the microporous filter membrane, sensing transmembrane pressure, maintaining a desired filtrate extraction rate through the microporous filter membrane, and reducing the extraction rate of filtrate while maintaining the vortex action when transmembrane pressure rises above a calculated value, to thereby clean the microporous filter membrane by action of the annular vortices.
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8. A blood constituent filtering method comprising the steps of
introducing blood constituent into a gap area disposed between relatively rotating generally cylindrical surfaces, at least one of which includes a blood constituent filtering membrane to filter out a blood constituent and for passing a filtrate therethrough, rotating one of the generally cylindrical surfaces relative to the other one of the generally cylindrical surfaces to produce Taylor vortices within the gap area, which entrain blood constituents in a sweeping action that passes adjacent to the filtering membrane, detecting the onset of filter membrane pore clogging by cellular blood constituents, and controlling at least one operating parameter to cause cleaning of the clogged pores by the sweeping action of blood constituents entrained in the Taylor vortices.
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14. A method for filtering a suspension of cellular components comprising the steps of
passing the suspension between a rotating spinner and an outer shell, one of the rotating spinner and the outer shell carrying a filter membrane, establishing a vortex action comprising a plurality of annular vortices in the suspension about the spinner and adjacent the membrane, sensing the transmembrane pressure while maintaining a desired extraction rate of filtrate through the membrane, comparing the transmembrane pressure to a transmembrane pressure value calculated to achieve extraction of filtrate with desired membrane efficiency and without substantial damage to the cellular components; - and
reducing the extraction rate of filtrate while maintaining the vortex action to clean the membrane when the transmembrane pressure rises above the calculated value. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for filtering filtrate from a suspension having a cellular component subject to trauma when stressed comprising the steps of
feeding the suspension into a space defined between an inner surface of a stationary housing body and an outer surface of a rotor rotatable within the stationary housing body, the inner surface of the stationary housing body carrying a microporous filter membrane, rotating the rotor at a rate selected to establish annular vortices, which substantially fill the space about the rotor, without causing substantial trauma to the cellular component, passing filtrate through the microporous filter membrane to the inner surface of the housing body, and collecting filtrate passing through the microporous filter membrane via a conduit in the stationary housing body that communicates with the inner surface of the stationary housing body.
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19. A method for filtering filtrate from a suspension containing at least one cellular blood component comprising the steps of
feeding the suspension into a space defined between an inner surface of a stationary housing body and an outer surface of a rotor rotatable within the stationary housing body, the inner surface of the stationary housing body carrying a microporous filter membrane, rotating the rotor at a rate selected to establish annular vortices, which substantially fill the space about the rotor, without causing substantial damage to the cellular blood component, passing filtrate through the microporous filter membrane to the inner surface of the housing body, and collecting filtrate passing through the microporous filter membrane via a conduit in the stationary housing body that communicates with the inner surface of the stationary housing body.
Specification