Concentrator filter
AssigneeTherapeutic Proteins International, LLC
InventorSarfaraz K. Niazi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus for separating suspended matter from liquid includes a concentrator filter that draws the liquid out of the suspension while the filter kept unblocked by a sparging filter that allows scrubbing of the concentrator filter by gas bubbles. This invention can be used to replace cross-flow filtration and centrifugation in the bioprocess industry and to reduce the volume of suspensions to concentrate the yield of the end product in the chemical industry.
Claims17
A method for separating suspended matter from a liquid, comprising:
- a. providing a concentrator filter comprising a solid material with a hollow inner volume;
- b. providing a sparging filter capable of scrubbing the concentrator filter by sparging the concentrator filter with high-speed gas bubble that can remove any particles that adhere to the concentrator filter;
- c. contacting the concentrator filter with sparging filter such that there is maximum contact of surface or at least very close proximity of the two filters;
- d. sparging the concentrator filter as the liquid enters the concentrator filter by vacuum;
- e. continuing the process until the desire volume of liquid is removed from the suspension.
A method of concentrating cells and organisms in a bioreactor comprising:
- a. providing a filter device comprising:
- i. at least one concentrator filter with at least one surface and inner volume and connected to a source of vacuum through an extraction tube;
- ii. at least one sparging filter with at least one surface and inner volume connected to a source of compressed gas;
- iii. fixing the concentrator filter and the sparging filter in a configuration to allow maximal contact along the entire surface between filters;
- b. disposing the filter device in the bioreactor containing a suspension of a biological culture in nutrient media ready for concentrating;
- c. turning on gas flow to sparging filter;
- d. turning on the vacuum source attached to the concentrator filter;
- e. removing a fixed volume of nutrient media from the bioreactor.
A method of concentrating a chemical suspension in a reactor comprising:
- a. providing a filter device comprising:
- i. at least one concentrator filter with at least one surface and inner volume and connected to a source of vacuum through an extraction tube;
- ii. at least one sparging filter with at least one surface and inner volume connected to a source of compressed gas;
- iii. fixing the concentrator filter and the sparging filter in a configuration to allow maximal contact along the entire surface between filters;
- b. disposing the filter device in the bioreactor containing a chemical suspension ready for concentrating;
- c. turning on gas flow to sparging filter;
- d. turning on the vacuum source attached to the concentrator filter;
- e. removing a fixed volume of chemical reaction from the bioreactor.
The method according to 10, wherein the filters are comprised of aluminum oxide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.