Diesel particulate filter element and filter

A spirally wound filtering element for a diesel particulate filter, said filter element comprising:

• (i) a plurality of layers of filter material comprising inorganic fibers, said plurality of layers being wound to provide a spirally wound roll, each layer extending substantially the full axial dimension of said spirally wound roll;
• (ii) a plurality of layers of open mesh material each having widths less than the widths of said layers of filter material and are alternately interposed between successive layers of said filter material, said open mesh material positioned between opposite sides of said spirally wound roll to provide spiral inlet and outlet exhaust channels opening into said spirally wound roll from alternate sides of said roll, each layer of filter material extending beyond said layers of open mesh material to close each of the radially inner and outer ends of said spiral channels;
• and
• (iii) a resilient stuffer strip extending between one side of said roll and an interior edge of each of said layers of open mesh material, such that each spiral channel is blocked so that exhaust entering said exhaust inlet channel passes radially through said layers of filter material before exiting through said exhaust outlet channel.