Automated, quantitative, system for filtration of liquids having a pump controller

An apparatus for automated, quantitative filtration of liquids, comprising:

• a reservoir for containing a liquid, the liquid containing filterable material dissolved or suspended within a carrier liquid;
• a filtration unit having an inlet, a filtrate outlet and a retentate outlet, said filtration unit receives the liquid to be filtered through the inlet and separates at least some of the filterable material therefrom which passes as filtrate through said filtrate outlet, and a retentate of the carrier liquid and residue filterable material passes from the retentate outlet;
• a conduit system which directs the liquid to be filtered from said reservoir to said inlet of the filtration unit and from the retentate outlet for return passage to said reservoir;
• at least one pressure sensor positioned along said conduit system for monitoring pressure within said conduit system;
• a processor-controlled pump unit which controls movement rate of the liquid through the filtration unit, said processor-controlled pump unit having control data channel circuitry which receives and operates upon data from said pressure sensor to control flow of the liquid through said filtration unit, said control data channel circuitry further responds to a maximum pressure limit on pressure at said pressure sensor in order to control the flow rate of the liquid through the processor-controlled pump unit and to thereby maintain the pressure of said liquid at said filtration unit at a substantially constant pressure;
• and
• wherein said conduit system includes tubing of a selected size, and said limit setting data channel circuitry receives a user-input indication of said selected size of the tubing.

An apparatus for automated, quantitative filtration of liquids, comprising:

• a reservoir for containing a liquid, the liquid containing filterable material dissolved or suspended within a carrier liquid;
• a filtration unit having an inlet, a filtrate outlet and a retentate outlet, said filtration unit receives the liquid to be filtered through the inlet and separates at least some of the filterable material therefrom which passes as filtrate through said filtrate outlet, and a retentate of the carrier liquid and residue filterable material passes from the retentate outlet;
• a conduit system which directs the liquid to be filtered from said reservoir to said inlet of the filtration unit and from the retentate outlet for return passage to said reservoir;
• at least one pressure sensor positioned along said conduit system for monitoring pressure within said conduit system;
• a processor-controlled pump unit which controls movement rate of the liquid through the filtration unit, said processor-controlled pump unit having control data channel circuitry which receives and operates upon data from said pressure sensor to control flow of the liquid through said filtration unit, said control data channel circuitry further including limit setting data channel circuitry to set parameter limits for controlling at least one filtration parameter;
• said conduit system includes tubing of a selected size, and said limit setting data channel circuitry receives a user-input indication of said selected size of the tubing;
• and
• said control data channel circuitry includes a calibration look-up table which relates a pump unit speed of rotation parameter with a pump unit output in terms of volume per unit time.

An apparatus for automated, quantitative filtration of liquids, comprising:

• a reservoir for containing a liquid, the liquid containing filterable material dissolved or suspended within a carrier liquid;
• a filtration unit having an inlet, a filtrate outlet and a retentate outlet, said filtration unit receives the liquid to be filtered through the inlet and separates at least same of the filterable material therefrom which passes as filtrate through said filtrate outlet, and a retentate of the carrier liquid and residue filterable material passes from the retentate outlet;
• a conduit system which directs the liquid to be filtered from said reservoir to said inlet of the filtration unit and from the retentate outlet for return passage to said reservoir;
• at least one pressure sensor positioned along said conduit system for monitoring pressure within said conduit system;
• a processor-controlled pump unit which controls movement rate of the liquid through the filtration unit, said processor-controlled pump unit having control data channel circuitry which receives and operates upon data from said pressure sensor to control flow of the liquid through said filtration unit, said control data channel circuitry further responds to a maximum pressure limit on pressure at said pressure sensor in order to control the flow rate of the liquid through the processor-controlled pump unit and to thereby maintain the pressure of said liquid at said filtration unit at a substantially constant pressure;
• said conduit system includes tubing of a selected size, and said limit setting data channel circuitry receives a user-input indication of said selected size of the tubing;
• and
• said control data channel circuitry includes a calibration look-up table which relates a pump unit speed of rotation parameter with a pump unit output in terms of volume per unit time.

An apparatus for automated, quantitative filtration of liquids, comprising:

• a reservoir for containing a liquid, the liquid containing filterable material dissolved or suspended within a carrier liquid;
• a filtration unit having an inlet, a filtrate outlet and a retentate outlet, said filtration unit receives the liquid to be filtered through the inlet and separates at least some of the filterable material therefrom which passes as filtrate through said filtrate outlet, and a retentate of the carrier liquid and residue filterable material passes from the retentate outlet;
• a conduit system which directs the liquid to be filtered from said reservoir to said inlet of the filtration unit and from the retentate outlet for return passage to said reservoir;
• at least one pressure sensor positioned along said conduit system for monitoring pressure within said conduit system;
• a processor-controlled pump unit which controls movement rate of the liquid through the filtration unit, said processor-controlled pump unit having control data channel circuitry which receives and operates upon data from said pressure sensor to control flow of the liquid through said filtration unit, said control data channel circuitry further responds to a maximum pressure limit on pressure at said pressure sensor in order to control the flow rate of the liquid through the processor-controlled pump unit and to thereby maintain the pressure of said liquid at said filtration unit at a substantially constant pressure;
• said conduit system includes tubing of a selected size, and said limit setting data channel circuitry receives a user-input indication of said selected size of the tubing;
• and
• said at least one pressure sensor monitors resistance to liquid flow within said filtration unit and said resistance to liquid flow which is monitored is trans-membrane pressure within said filtration unit, and wherein said control data circuitry maintains the trans-membrane pressure constant by adjusting the flow rate of the liquid through the filtration unit.