Water purification pack
AssigneePrismedical Corporation
InventorMichael A. Taylor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and methods are disclosed for purifying fluid, such as potable water, to quality levels suitable for medical application, particularly to applications involving injection of the fluid into a human body. The apparatus comprises a portable purification pack constructed for a single use. The pack houses depth filtration, activated carbon, mixed bed ion exchange resins and terminal filtration stages in series. The terminal filter comprises a fine (microfiltration or ultrafiltration), permeable membrane, treated with an endotoxin-binding chemistry. In contrast with semi-permeable osmotic membranes, the permeable membrane produces high flow rates at relatively low pressures, while still safely purifying fluid to injection quality.
Claims31
A portable, handheld apparatus for producing injectable quality single fluid, comprising:
- a housing defining a fluid flow path therethrough from an inlet port to an outlet port;
- a depth filtration stage within the housing along the fluid flow path;
- an organic filtration component within the housing along the fluid flow path;
- a deionization resin bed within the housing along the fluid flow path;
- and
- a permeable membrane within the housing along the fluid flow path, the permeable membrane having a porosity of less than about 0.5 μm and configured to retain endotoxins.
A handheld water purification pack for producing injectable quality water, comprising a container defining a flow-through path from an inlet to an outlet, the path having an average cross-sectional area of less than about 20 square inches, the container housing a plurality of purification elements within the path, including a permeable membrane having a porosity of no more than about 0.5 μm, the plurality of purification elements providing a back-pressure low enough to allow fluid flow therethrough of greater than about 30 mL/min under a feed pressure of between about 5 psi and 10 psi.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.