Filtration methods and devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10131930-B2
Application number	US-201615185792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 7, 2010
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A method of filtering a liquid sample that includes passing a sample comprising at least one biological organism through a filter membrane at a passive water volume flux of at least 10 L/m 2 ·h·psi, wherein the filter membrane comprises a Bubble Point pore size of no more than 1.0 μm, thereby retaining at least one biological organism on the surface of the membrane; and detecting the at least one biological organism retained on the surface of the filter membrane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a liquid sample comprising at least one biological organism;
a filter device comprising:
a pocket comprising a pocket surface that defines a pocket volume;
an absorbent member disposed on at least a portion of the pocket surface, wherein the absorbent member is a hydrogel; and
a filter membrane disposed on at least a portion of the absorbent member in fluid communication with the pocket volume, wherein flow of liquid into the absorbent member occurs when a liquid flows through the filter membrane and a biological organism in the liquid sample is retained by the filter membrane, wherein the filter membrane forms the pocket.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter membrane is a multi-zone membrane.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the multi-zone membrane comprises an open side in functional communication with the absorbent member and a tight side in fluid communication with the pocket volume.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the tight side has a smaller Bubble Point pore size relative to the open side.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the functional communication is capable of generating a water flux gradient sufficient to draw liquid across the filter membrane and into the absorbent member.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pocket further comprises a sample port.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the water flux gradient is at least 10 L/m2.h.psi.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter membrane has a Bubble Point pore size of no more than 1.0 μm.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter membrane comprises a polyolefin porous membrane, an ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer porous membrane, a polyacrylonitrile porous membrane, a polycarbonate porous membrane, a polyester porous membrane, a cellulose ester porous membrane, a polyamide porous membrane, a polyethersulfone porous membrane, a polysulfone porous membrane, a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) porous membrane, a polyacrylonitrile nanofiber membrane, a PVDF nanofiber membrane, a cellulose ester nanofiber membrane, a polyvinyl acetate or alcohol nanofiber membrane, or a polyvinyl butyral nanofiber membrane.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter membrane comprises a Thermally Induced Phase (TIPS) membrane or a nanofiber membrane.

11. A system comprising:
a liquid sample comprising at least one biological organism;
a filter device comprising:
a pocket comprising a pocket surface that defines a pocket volume;
an absorbent member disposed on at least a portion of the pocket surface, wherein the absorbent member is a hydrogel; and
a filter membrane disposed on at least a portion of the absorbent member in fluid communication with the pocket volume, wherein flow of liquid into the absorbent member occurs when a liquid flows through the filter membrane and a biological organism in the liquid sample is retained by the filter membrane, wherein the absorbent member is enveloped by the filter membrane.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the filter membrane is a multi-zone membrane.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the multi-zone membrane comprises an open side in functional communication with the absorbent member and a tight side in fluid communication with the pocket volume.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the tight side has a smaller Bubble Point pore size relative to the open side.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the functional communication is capable of generating a water flux gradient sufficient to draw liquid across the filter membrane and into the absorbent member.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the water flux gradient is at least 10 L/m2.h.psi.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the pocket further comprises a sample port.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the filter membrane has a Bubble Point pore size of no more than 1.0 μm.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the filter membrane comprises a polyolefin porous membrane, an ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer porous membrane, a polyacrylonitrile porous membrane, a polycarbonate porous membrane, a polyester porous membrane, a cellulose ester porous membrane, a polyamide porous membrane, a polyethersulfone porous membrane, a polysulfone porous membrane, a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) porous membrane, a polyacrylonitrile nanofiber membrane, a PVDF nanofiber membrane, a cellulose ester nanofiber membrane, a polyvinyl acetate or alcohol nanofiber membrane, or a polyvinyl butyral nanofiber membrane.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the filter membrane comprises a Thermally Induced Phase (TIPS) membrane or a nanofiber membrane.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Mach Patrick A
• Rajagopal Raj
• Xia Wensheng
• Zhou Jinsheng
• Guo Chunmei

Classifications

• B01D2325/12

  Adsorbents being present on the surface of the membranes or in the pores · CPC title

• C12Q1/689

  for bacteria · CPC title

• G01N33/68

  involving proteins, peptides or amino acids {(involving lipoproteins G01N33/92)} · CPC title

• C12Q1/04 Primary

  Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor {(C12Q1/6897 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B01D63/00

  Apparatus in general for separation processes using semi-permeable membranes · CPC title