Apparatus and method for removing microbial contaminants from a flowing fluid
OwnerDan M. Sheldoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cell culture incubator comprising a chamber, an airflow passage through which fluids may recirculate through the chamber, a filter disposed within the airflow passage, and a structural component constructed of a material with anti-microbial properties. The structural component is disposed in the airflow passage so that microbial contaminants in air flowing into or within the incubator will contact the anti-microbial structural component and be retained in a portion of the airflow passage. The portion of the airflow passage in which the microbial contaminants are retained may be adjacent to the structural element.
Claims25
A cell culture incubator, comprising:
- a chamber;
- an airflow passage through which gasses may recirculate in and out of the chamber;
- a filter disposed within the airflow passage, the filter having a filter element;
- and a structural component constructed of a material with anti-microbial properties, wherein the structural component is disposed within the filter upstream of the filter element so that microbial contaminants in air flowing into the incubator will contact the structural component and then be retained in the filter element.
An incubator including a chamber, an airflow passage for recirculating a gas into and out of the chamber, and a filter configured to filter air circulated through the airflow passage, the filter comprising:
- a casing, the casing defining a passage for airflow through the filter;
- a filter element disposed in the casing such that air must flow through the filter element to flow through the passage;
- and
- a structural element made of a material with anti-microbial properties disposed in the casing upstream of the filter element.
A method of removing microbial contaminants from an incubator chamber, comprising:
- providing an air filter having a structural component made of a material with anti-microbial properties, the air filter also including a filter element;
- creating an airflow though the filter element;
- exposing microbial contaminants in air flowing through the filter element to the structural component made of a material with anti-microbial properties;
- and
- trapping microbial contaminants in the filter element after exposing the microbial contaminants to the structural component.
A cell culture incubator, comprising:
- a chamber;
- an airflow passage;
- and
- a filter configured to filter air circulated through the airflow passage, wherein the filter includes an inlet, an outlet, an anti-microbial structural component disposed between the inlet and the outlet, and a filter element configured to trap microbial contaminants exposed to the anti-microbial structural component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.