Method and apparatus for the filtration of biological solutions
AssigneeSpf Innovations, LLC
InventorsGaston de los Reyes, Leon Mir
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system, method and device are disclosed for bio-processing a feed stream and providing a constant output by operating a continuous single-pass tangential-flow process. The single-pass process provides high conversion concentration while operating at relatively low feed flow rates, and the process can also be used to provide constant output diafiltration.
Claims32
An internally staged filtration system comprising:
- a housing;
- a plurality of stages disposed within the housing, each stage having a plurality of channels comprising an filtration membrane, each stage being in fluid communication with each adjacent stage preceding it and being in fluid communication with each adjacent stage that follows it, and at least two stages form a serial flow path;
- and
- wherein a filtration property of a first stage and a second stage following the first stage differ to maintain separation performance.
A filter module for filtering a fluid mixture comprising:
- a housing;
- a membrane disposed within the housing having a first surface;
- a feed spacer disposed adjacent the first surface of the membrane;
- and
- wherein the spacer and the membrane form at least one channel, the at least one channel disposed to establish a tangential flow of the fluid mixture over the first surface of the membrane and the at least one channel having a membrane area, a void volume, a length and a specific membrane area expressed as a ratio of the membrane area to the void volume and a dimensionless length expressed as a product of the channel length and the specific membrane area;
- and
- wherein the specific membrane area of the at least one channel is greater than about 40 cm−1, the dimensionless length of the at least one channel is greater than about 3,000, and the at least one channel having a width generally decreasing in the direction of the tangential flow.
An internally staged filter module comprising:
- a housing;
- a plurality of stages disposed within the housing, each stage having a plurality of channels comprising a filtration membrane and at least one manifold in fluid communication with the plurality of channels, each stage being in fluid communication with each adjacent stage preceding it and being in fluid communication with each adjacent stage that follows it;
- and
- at least one diafiltration distributor disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the at least one manifold of selected ones of the plurality of stages and having an inlet for supplying a diafiltrate.
A method for efficiently using filtration membranes for processing a solute in a feed stream while achieving a high conversion factor and reducing system requirements, hold-up volume and processing time, the method comprising:
- operating a plurality of stages, at least one stage comprising a plurality of substantially identical, long thin channels comprising the filtration membrane, in single pass filtration (SPF) mode;
- maintaining separation performance in at least one of the plurality of stages by varying at least one property of at least one stage relative to a preceding stage;
- and
- continuously supplying the feed stream at a specific feed flow rate of less than about 200 lmh.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.