Method and apparatus for carrying out integrity tests
AssigneeSartorius Stedim Biotech GmbH
InventorsMaik Jornitz, Jens Meyer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus are provided for carrying out integrity tests of at least one filter element, arranged within a filter housing, with porous filter materials. Sensors are provided for measuring the sound generated by a test fluid when it flows through the filter element. The method includes applying a test fluid to a first side of the filter materials of the filter element while maintaining a constant fluid pressure, measuring the body-borne sound and/or the vibrations caused by test fluid flowing through the filter materials by sensors, and comparing the body-borne sound and/or the vibrations with the body-borne sound and/or the vibrations of an integral, identical filter element, measured under identical conditions.
Claims13
A method for carrying out integrity tests of at least one filter element (3, 3′), arranged within a filter housing (2, 2′), with porous filter materials, in which means are provided for measuring sound generated by a test fluid when the test fluid flows through the filter element (3, 3′), the method comprising:
- a) applying a test fluid to a first side of the filter materials of the filter element (3, 3′) while maintaining a constant fluid pressure,
- b) measuring at least one of body-borne sound and vibrations caused by the test fluid flowing through the filter materials by means of sensors (6, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20), and
- c) comparing at least one of the body-borne sound and the vibrations measured in step b) with at least one of the body-borne sound and the vibrations of an integral, identical filter element (3, 3′), measured under identical conditions.
5-7. (canceled)
An apparatus (1) for carrying out integrity tests of at least one filter element (3, 3′), arranged within a filter housing (2, 2′), with porous filter materials, in which means are provided for measuring sound generated by a test fluid when the test fluid flows through the filter element (3, 3′), the apparatus comprises at least one of body-borne sound sensors (6, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20) provided on at least one of a wall (17) of the filter housing (2, 2′), on an inflow line (4) or an outflow line (5) or contactless vibration sensors to measure vibrations generated by the sound.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.