# US 12,109,516 B2 · High flow, low hold up filters > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,516 B2 - Document ID: US12109516B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/931,829 - Filed: 2022-09-13 - Published: 2023-08-17 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-20 - Assignees: Marin Scientific Development Company - Applicants: Marin Scientific Development Company - Inventors: Peter Florez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109516B2 ## CPC - B01D 29/31: Self-supporting filtering elements - B01D 29/21: with corrugated, folded or wound sheets - B01D 29/232: {with corrugated, folded or wound sheets} - B01D 29/54: arranged concentrically or coaxially - B01D 35/027: rigidly mounted in or on tanks or reservoirs (B01D35/04 takes precedence) - B01D 35/30: Filter housing constructions - B01D 2201/02: Filtering elements having a conical form - B01D 2201/12: Pleated filters - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) ## Abstract Filter devices with a flow director surrounded by a filter element providing a large filter surface area and low fluid volumes for efficient filtration and high recovery of sample fluids. The filter device can be configured with dimensions and sealing surfaces to functionally interact as a pre-filter for common usage disposable filter flasks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A filter device comprising: a filter element surrounding a central axis and comprising a top end, a bottom end, an external filter surface, an internal filter surface, and an internal space between the central axis and internal surface; a flow director impermeable to liquids positioned within the internal space and displacing more of the internal space toward the bottom end of the filter than the flow director displaces toward the top of the filter, wherein the flow director occupies more than half of the volume inside the filter element, and wherein a bottom end of the flow director comprises a lateral flange extending out radially, which flange comprises a top surface in sealing contact with the filter bottom end; and a reservoir hermetically sealed to the filter top end. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the filter is a pleated filter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir has a volume greater than a volume of the internal space. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the flow director has a parabolic cross-section in a plane through the central axis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, positioned in a reservoir of a vacuum filter apparatus. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising a central sleeve shaped to fit into an interior space between the filter element and the flow director, whereby positioning the sleeve into the interior space displaces sample up to provide improved contact with the filter element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the shoulder flange further comprises a sealing surface on a planar bottom side of the flange extension beyond the body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein a radial distance between the flow director top end and the filter is at least two times a radial distance between the flow director bottom end and the filter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising a prefilter element extending across the filter device reservoir positioned to prefilter sample before it contacts the first filter element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured so that a sample liquid applied to the flow director top end wets the filter top end. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the flow director contacts the filter element at most only at the filter bottom end. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir is hermetically sealed to the filter top end through a shoulder flange extending radially out from the filter top end in a plane substantially perpendicular to the central axis. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the height of the flow director is greater than its width. ### Claim 14 A filter device comprising: a filter element surrounding a central axis and comprising a top end, a bottom end, an external filter surface, an internal filter surface, and an internal space between the central axis and internal surface; a flow director impermeable to liquids positioned within the internal space and displacing more of the internal space toward the bottom end of the filter than the flow director dis places toward the top of the filter, wherein the height of the flow director is greater than its width, and wherein a bottom end of the flow director comprises a lateral flange extending out radially, which flange comprises a top surface in sealing contact with the filter bottom end; and a reservoir hermetically sealed to the filter top end, wherein the reservoir has a volume greater than a volume of the internal space. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the filter is a pleated filter. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the flow director has a parabolic cross-section in a plane through the central axis. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, positioned in a reservoir of a vacuum filter apparatus.