Blood filter with concentric pleats and method of use

A blood filter comprising:

• a housing having a cap portion, a base portion and a generally cylindrical wall portion;
• a blood inlet;
• a filter element disposed within the housing and dividing the housing into an inlet chamber in flow communication with the blood inlet and an outlet chamber, the filter element having a plurality of concentric annular pleats;
• a support element fixedly connected to the housing, the support element having a plurality of concentric annular members nested within the annular pleats of the filter element, and the support element also having a base member from which the annular members extend;
• a blood outlet in flow communication with the outlet chamber;
• and
• a gas vent in gas flow communication with the inlet chamber.

A blood filter comprising:

• a housing having a cap portion, a base, a generally cylindrical wall portion and a blood flow separation portion, the cap portion defining a blood flow path which spirals inwardly;
• a blood inlet in flow communication with the inwardly spiral blood flow path, the blood flow separation portion being positioned as a barrier between blood entering through the blood inlet and blood which has previously entered the filter and is flowing along the inwardly spiral blood flow path;
• a filter element disposed within the housing and dividing the housing into an inlet chamber in flow communication with the blood inlet and an outlet chamber, and the filter element having a plurality of concentric pleats;
• a blood outlet in flow communication with the outlet chamber;
• a gas vent in gas flow communication with the inlet chamber;
• and
• a support element having a plurality of annular members nested within and supporting the annular pleats of the support element.

A blood filter comprising:

• a housing having a cap portion, a base, a generally cylindrical wall portion and a blood flow separation portion, the cap portion defining a blood flow path which spirals inwardly;
• a blood inlet in flow communication with the inwardly spiral blood flow path, the blood flow separation portion being positioned as a barrier between blood entering through the blood inlet and blood which has previously entered the filter and is flowing along the inwardly spiral blood flow path;
• a filter element disposed within the housing and dividing the housing into an inlet chamber in flow communication with the blood inlet and an outlet chamber;
• a blood outlet in flow communication with the outlet chamber;
• a gas vent in gas flow communication with the inlet chamber;
• and
• a volume displacing element disposed within an innermost annular pleat of the support element, and comprising an extension of the cap portion.

A blood filter comprising:

• a cap defining an inwardly spiral blood flow path;
• a tubular wall;
• a base, wherein the cap, tubular wall and base together define a blood filtering chamber;
• a blood inlet in flow communication with the inwardly spiral blood flow path;
• a filter element disposed within the housing and dividing the housing into an inlet chamber in flow communication with the blood inlet and an outlet chamber, the filter element having a plurality of concentric annular pleats, each pleat having a length equal to approximately the length of the tubular wall;
• a volume displacing element connected to the cap and extending towards the filter element such that it is disposed within an innermost annular pleat of the support element;
• a support element fixedly connected to the base, the support element having a base member and a plurality of concentric annular members extending from the base member and terminating at an edge which nests within and supports the annular pleats of the filter element;
• a blood outlet in flow communication with the outlet chamber;
• and
• a gas vent in gas flow communication with the inlet chamber.