BIOLOGICAL FLUID FILTRATION UNIT PROVIDED WITH AN OFFSET INLET AND/OR OUTLET MEMBER

• US 20100108596A1
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MACO Pharma
• Original Assignee: MACO Pharma
• Inventors: Godard, David, Sumian, Chryslain, Duhaut, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,095,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/435
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/0209 Multiple bag systems for separating or storing blood components
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/0218 with filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3633 Blood component filters, e.g. leukocyte filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3636 having a flexible housing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3686 by removing photoactive agents after irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/04 Dielectric heating, e.g. high-frequency welding , i.e. radio frequency welding of plastic materials having dielectric properties, e.g. PVC
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12443 having the tongue substantially in the middle
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/133 Fin-type joints, the parts to be joined being flexible the parts to be joined being rigid B29C66/1312
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/24221 being circular B29C66/51 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53262 Enclosing spouts between the walls of bags, e.g. of medical bags
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53263 said spouts comprising wings, e.g. said spouts being of ship-like or canoe-like form to avoid leaks in the corners
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/80 General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81423 being concave
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81431 comprising a single cavity, e.g. a groove
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83221 cooperating reciprocating tools, each tool reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8432 Machines for making separate joints at the same time mounted in parallel or in series
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 : PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/14 : Filters optical filters B29L2011/0066, sieves or screens B29L2031/737
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7148 : Blood bags, medical bags

Abstract

A filtration unit intended to allow the selective elimination of target substances from a fluid such as flood or a blood component, has an outer envelope formed from two flexible sheets joined together over their periphery along a bond line so as to define an inner volume, the envelope containing a filtering medium which delimits, on both sides of the bond line, an inlet compartment of the fluid to be filtered and an outlet compartment of the filtrate, each of the compartments being provided with an element—respectively an inlet and outlet element—for bringing the compartment into communication with the outside, the elements being connected between the sheets and comprising a flow channel that passes through the bond line, the unit being characterized in that at least one channel is offset relative to the bond line towards the compartment with which the channel is in communication.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A filtration unit for the selective removal of target substances from a fluid comprising an outer casing formed from two flexible sheets joined together on the periphery thereof along a joint face so as to define an inner volume, the outer casing containing a filtering medium which defines, on either side of said joint face, an inlet compartment of the fluid to be filtered and a filtrate outlet compartment, each of the compartments being provided with an inlet and outlet member respectively, for connecting said compartment with the outside, said members being joined between the sheets and comprising a flow conduit through the joint face, and at least one conduit offset with respect to the joint face towards the compartment wherewith said at least one conduit is connected.

17. The filtration unit according to claim 16, wherein said unit has an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit, and said conduits are offset on either side of the joint face.

18. The filtration unit according to claim 16, wherein flow in the at least one conduit extends along a direction substantially parallel with the joint face.

19. The filtration unit according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the members for connecting a compartment with the outside is formed from a flow nozzle, said flow nozzle having an outer radius R and an offset distance of said flow nozzle with respect to the joint face being strictly less than R.

20. The filtration unit according to claim 19, wherein the offset distance is between 20% and 80% of the radius R.

21. The filtration unit according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the members comprises a body topped with a flow conduit, and said body is arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to the joint face.

22. The filtration unit according to claim 21, wherein the at least one member is formed by moulding a rigid material.

23. The filtration unit according to claim 16, wherein the filtering medium is held in the unit substantially symmetrically with respect to the joint face.

24. The filtration unit according to claim 23, wherein the unit comprises a tight flexible frame wherein the filtering medium is positioned, and said frame is rigidly connected between the sheets along the joint face.

25. The filtration unit according to claim 23, wherein the filtering medium is rigidly connected between the sheets along or at a distance from the joint face.

26. The filtration unit according to claim 16, wherein the outlet compartment is disengaged from the filtering medium by the presence of at least one separating ring arranged between the filtering medium and the flexible outer casing, inside the outlet compartment.

27. The filtration unit according to claim 16, wherein a part of the filtration unit conduit extends inside the compartment wherewith said conduit is connected.

28. A method for manufacturing a filtration unit according to claim 19, said method comprising the steps of:

providing two molds mutually forming a joint face, said molds each being provided with at least one form, said forms mutually forming a housing for receiving a nozzle and being dissymmetrical so as to position said nozzle offset with respect to the joint face;

arranging between the molds a stack formed from a filtering medium between flexible sheets and arranging a nozzle in the joint face and facing the forms; and

joining the filtration unit by closing the molds.

29. The manufacturing method according to claim 28, further comprising forming wherein the joint by sealing.

30. A bag system for removing target substances from a biological fluid, comprising:

a filtration unit according to claim 16; and

a filtrate collection bag, and said filtrate bag being connected, via a nozzle and at an inlet orifice, to the filtration unit outlet conduit.