Method and apparatus for acoustically driven media filtration

An apparatus for separating particles from a fluid, comprising:

• a. a chamber having an inlet and an outlet;
• b. a porous medium disposed within said chamber between said inlet and said outlet, said porous medium having a predetermined average pore size
• c. means connected to said inlet for flowing through said chamber and said porous medium a fluid containing particles,
• d. means for imposing on said porous medium an acoustic field while the fluid is flowed through said porous medium, said porous medium trapping particles having a size substantially less than its predetermined average pore size while the acoustic field is imposed;
• and
• e. means for detecting when a predetermined optimum trapping condition exists and, in response to the optimum trapping condition, removing the acoustic field to permit particles trapped in said porous medium to flow through said porous medium and out said outlet of said chamber.