Device for cross flow filtration

A whole blood filtration device separating blood plasma/serum from blood cells and collecting the separated plasma/serum in a connection container for analysis, the whole blood filtration device comprising:

• a filter housing, comprising:
• a first feeding side opening at a first end of the filter housing, the first feeding side opening having a first opening orientation;
• a second feeding side opening at an opposite second end of the filter housing, the second feeding side opening having a second opening orientation;
• wherein the first opening orientation is inclined at a first inclination relative to the longitudinal extension of the filter housing;
• and
• the second opening orientation is inclined at a second inclination relative to the longitudinal extension of the filter housing,
• wherein the first and second inclinations are each between 30° and 60° relative to the longitudinal extension of the filter housing;
• two piston driven manual blood pumps, each having a push button actuator having a corresponding push button actuator orientation, the two piston driven manual blood pumps comprising:
• a first blood pump of the two piston driven manual blood pumps coupled onto the first feeding side opening by a lock connection, the first blood pump having a push button actuator orientation of between 30° and 60° relative to the longitudinal extension of the filter housing;
• and
• a second blood pump of the two piston driven manual blood pumps coupled onto the second feeding side opening by a lock connection, the second blood pump having a push button actuator orientation between 30° and 60° relative to the longitudinal extension of the filter housing,
• wherein the push button actuators are arranged for alternate operation by a user's thumbs when the whole blood filtration device is handheld;
• a filter membrane separating a feeding volume and a clean side of the filter membrane from each other, the filter membrane arranged in an interior of the filter housing;
• wherein the filter membrane comprises at least one hollow fiber membrane made of a ceramic material, comprising a lumen including a first terminal opening and a second terminal opening;
• wherein the lumen in an interior of the at least one hollow fiber membrane forms the feeding volume, the first feeding side opening in communication with the first terminal opening and the second feeding side opening is in communication with the second terminal opening;
• wherein the at least one hollow fiber membrane comprises a hydrophilicity-reducing coating;
• wherein the term “hydrophilicity-reducing” is defined to refer to a water or blood droplet contact angle of the at least one hollow fiber membrane which is larger than a water or blood droplet contact angle of the at least one hollow fiber membrane prior to coating;
• the feeding volume communicating with a first feeding side opening and with a second feeding side opening;
• the filter membrane including pores with a pore size that ensures permeability of the filter membrane to blood plasma/serum and that retains blood cells, the pore size is between 100 nanometers and 1,000 nanometers, the filter membrane having a roughness lower than 10 microns;
• the first feeding side opening is coupled to a first blood pump by a lock connection for feeding blood from the first feeding side opening into the feeding volume so that blood plasma/serum permeates the filter membrane and blood cells, retained by the filter membrane, exit from the feeding volume through the second feeding side opening;
• wherein the second feeding side opening is coupled to a second blood pump for feeding blood from the second feeding side opening into the feeding volume so that a blood plasma/serum permeates the filter membrane and blood cells, retained by the filter membrane, exit from the feeding volume through the first feeding side opening;
• wherein the interior of the filter housing at the clean side is hydrophobically coated,
• wherein the filter housing further comprises:
• a plasma/serum outlet opening in communication with the clean side of the and arranged on the filter housing between the first end and the second end.