Method for retrovirus removal

• US 9,623,352 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMD Millipore Corporation (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Kas, Onur Y., Kozlov, Mikhail, Moya, Wilson, Goddard, Philip, Leon, Sherry Ashby, Hao, Jibin, Tkacik, Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, John
• Application Number:
  US13/194,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20120061332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,090 Days
• Field of Search: 210649, 210650, 210767, 210483, 210488, 210489, 210490, 2105001, 21050027, 21050036, 21050038, 21050041, 210503, 210504, 210506, 210508, 435 2
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/022 Filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0208 Single-component fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0216 Bicomponent or multicomponent fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/025 comprising nanofibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0442 Antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal additives
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0631 Electro-spun
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/10 Filtering material manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/1233 Fibre diameter
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/39 Electrospinning
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/42 Details of membrane preparation apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2325/20 Specific permeability or cut-off range
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/00 Filtering material for liquid or gaseous fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/04 Organic material, e.g. cellulose, cotton
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/14 Other self-supporting filtering material ; Other filtering material non-woven fabrics in general D04H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/16 of organic material, e.g. synthetic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/1607 the material being fibrous B01D39/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/1615 of natural origin
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/1623 of synthetic origin
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/18 the material being cellulose or derivatives thereof cork or peat B01D39/1646 ; making filter paper D21F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/14 Ultrafiltration; Microfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/00042 : by deposition of fibres, nanofibres or nanofibrils
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/002 : from melts
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/02 : characterised by their properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/1071 : Woven, non-woven or net mesh
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2740/16051 : Methods of production or purification of viral material
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 7/00 : Viruses; Bacteriophages; Compositions thereof; Preparation or purification thereof preparing medicinal viral antigen or antibody compositions, e.g. virus vaccines, A61K39/00
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 1/02 : Preparation of spinning solutions
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0092 : characterised by the electrical field, e.g. combined with a magnetic fields, using biased or alternating fields
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/96 : from other synthetic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/04 : Filters

Abstract

A method for removing retroviruses from liquid samples and a nanofiber containing liquid filtration medium that simultaneously exhibits high liquid permeability and high microorganism retention is disclosed. Retroviruses are removed from a liquid by passing the liquid through a porous nanofiber containing filtration medium having a retrovirus LRV greater than about 6, and the nanofiber(s) has a diameter from about 10 nm to about 100 nm. The filtration medium can be in the form of a fibrous electrospun polymeric nanofiber liquid filtration medium mat.

Claims

1. A method of removing retroviruses from a liquid sample comprising the steps of:

a) providing a liquid sample containing retroviruses,

b) providing a filtration medium comprising a porous nanofiber mat made by electrospinning a polymer, wherein the porous nanofiber mat has a retrovirus Log Reduction Value (LRV) greater than about 6, a porosity from about 80% to about 95%, and a liquid permeability greater than about 100 LMH/psi, and wherein the nanofiber mat has a fiber diameter effective for retention of retroviruses by size-based exclusion, and

c) passing the liquid sample containing the retroviruses through the filtration medium such that the retroviruses are retained by the filtration medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the porous nonofiber mat exhibits a mean flow bubble point, as tested with isopropanol, from 100 to 150 psi.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtration medium has a thickness from about 1 μ

m to about 500 μ

m.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the porous nonofiber mat has a thickness from 1 μ

m to 50 μ

m.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrovirus is Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrovirus is Human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyimide, aliphatic polyamide, aromatic polyamide, polysulfone, cellulose acetate, polyether sulfone, polyurethane, poly(urea urethane), polybenzimidazole, polyetherimide, polyacrylonitrile, poly(ethylene terephthalate), polypropylene, polyaniline, poly(ethylene oxide), poly(ethylene naphthalate), poly(butylene terephthalate), styrene butadiene rubber, polystyrene, poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinylidene fluoride), poly(vinyl butylene) and copolymers, derivative compounds, or blends thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises an aliphatic polyamide.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises a blend of polymers or copolymers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the porous nanofiber mat is disposed on a porous support.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the porous support comprises one or more layers selected from the group consisting of spunbonded nonwovens, meltblown nonwovens, needle punched nonwovens, spunlaced nonwovens, wet laid nonwovens, resin-bonded nonwovens, woven fabrics, knit fabrics, paper, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the porous nanofiber mat has a fiber diameter from about 25-30 nm.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the porous nanofiber mat has a fiber diameter from about 10-100 nm.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the porous nanofiber mat has a liquid permeability of at least about 300 LMH/psi.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the porous nanofiber mat has a fiber diameter from about 25-30 nm.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the porous nanofiber mat has a fiber diameter from about 10-100 nm.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein the porous nanofiber mat has a liquid permeability of at least about 300 LMH/psi.

18. The method of claim 4, wherein the porous nanofiber mat has a fiber diameter from about 25-30 nm.

19. The method of claim 4, wherein the porous nanofiber mat has a fiber diameter from about 10-100 nm.

20. The method of claim 4, wherein the porous nanofiber mat has a liquid permeability of at least about 300 LMH/psi.