Filter element and filtration assembly for biopharmaceutical applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10173151-B2
Application number	US-201414909191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2014
Priority date	Aug 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

Provided are filter elements or cells and filtration assemblies or capsules for purifying and/or clarifying fluids used during various biopharmaceutical applications, for example, chromatography or depth filtration, and processes for making and using the same. A filter element comprises a media pack comprising two sides and a separator element located between the two sides, at least one side comprising a filtration media, wherein an inner edge periphery and/or an outer edge periphery of the filtration media comprise a bond directly to a portion of the separator element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A filter element comprising:
a media pack comprising two sides each comprising: an inner edge having an inner edge periphery and an outer edge having an outer edge periphery, wherein at least one side comprises a filtration media comprising a microporous polymeric membrane;
a separator element located between the two sides, the separator element comprising a central hub defining a central separator opening and a plurality of support members extending from the central hub;
wherein at least one of the inner edge periphery and the outer edge periphery comprises a bond directly to a portion of the separator element and the at least one of the inner edge periphery and the outer edge periphery comprises an overmold seal over the bond.

2. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the bond is continuous thereby forming a hermetic seal.

3. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the bond comprises an adhesive or a polymer weld.

4. The filter element of claim 3 , wherein the bond comprises a polymer weld selected from the group consisting of an ultrasonic weld, a high-frequency weld, a vibration weld, a friction weld, a laser weld, a solvent weld, a contact weld, a hot plate weld, a plastic rod weld, a speed tip weld, or a hot gas weld.

5. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the bond has a width that is in the range of 50 mil to 250 mil from at least one of the inner edge and the outer edge of the filtration media.

6. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the bond comprises an inner bond between the inner edge periphery of the filtration media and a surface of the central hub.

7. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the separator element comprises an outer lip, and a surface of a washer of the central hub and a surface of the outer lip are in the same plane.

8. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the bond comprises an outer bond between the outer edge periphery of the filtration media and the outer lip.

9. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the two sides of the media pack both comprise the filtration media.

10. The filter element of claim 9 , wherein the bond comprises an outer bond between the filtration media.

11. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein a first side of the media pack comprises the filtration media and a second side of the media pack comprises a flow inhibitor.

12. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the filtration media comprises a microporous membrane produced from a polymeric material.

13. The filter element of claim 1 , wherein the filtration media comprises one or more layers of media.

14. The filter element of claim 13 , wherein each layer comprises a thickness in the range of 5-40 mil.

15. The filter element of claim 13 , wherein each layer independently comprises a polymeric material having a melting point in the range of 100° C. to 300° C.

16. A filter element comprising:
a media pack comprising two sides each comprising: an inner edge having an inner edge periphery and an outer edge having an outer edge periphery, wherein a first side comprises a first filtration media comprising a microporous polymeric membrane and a second side comprises a second filtration media or a flow inhibitor;
a separator element located between the two sides, the separator element comprising a central hub defining a central separator opening, a plurality of support members extending from the central hub, and an outer lip;
wherein the inner edge periphery of the first filtration media comprises an inner bond directly to the central hub; and
wherein the outer edge periphery of the first filtration media comprises an outer bond directly to the outer lip of the separator; and
wherein the inner edge periphery comprises an overmold seal over the inner bond.

17. The filter element of claim 16 , wherein the first filtration media comprises two or more layers that are independently: a woven structure, a non-woven structure, a microporous membrane, a monolith, a melt-blown fiber (MBF) structure, or an open-cell foam formed from a material selected from the group consisting of: nylon, ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE), polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a polyethersulfone membrane, a polysulfone membrane, a polyester membrane, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polycarbonate, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose, or combinations thereof.

18. A method of integrity testing a filter element, the method comprising:
obtaining a filter element of claim 16 wherein the inner bond and the outer bond are both continuous and wherein the filtration media may be wetted and dried without losing integrity;
exposing an upstream side of the filter element to a test fluid to form an exposed element; and
monitoring a downstream side of the filter element to detect leakage.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the test fluid comprises a liquid, the method further comprising pressurizing the exposed element and the monitoring step comprises measuring pressure to detect leakage.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the test fluid comprises a gas with particles entrained therein and the monitoring step comprises measuring a particle count to detect leakage.

21. A method of filtering, the method comprising:
obtaining a filter element of claim 16 wherein the inner bond and the outer bond are both continuous;
passing an incoming fluid through the filter element; and
receiving a filtered fluid from the filter element.

22. A method of making a filter element, the method comprising:
obtaining a first filtration media comprising a microporous polymeric membrane having a melting point in the range of 100 to 300 degree Celsius; an inner edge having an inner edge periphery and an outer edge having an outer edge periphery;
locating a separator element on the first filtration media;
axially aligning the first filtration media and the separator element;
bonding at least one of the inner edge periphery and the outer edge periphery directly to the separator element to form a bond; and
forming an overmold seal over the inner bond.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the bonding step comprises ultrasonically welding the inner edge periphery to a washer of the separator element to form an inner bond and the outer edge periphery to itself or directly to an outer lip of the separator element to form an outer bond.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising forming an overmold outer seal over the outer bond.

25. A filtration assembly comprising the filter element of claim 16 located in a housing.

26. A method of forming a filtration assembly, the method comprising: locating the filter element of claim 16 in a housing.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Lucas Jeffrey A
• Burke Kenneth M
• Bailey Anna I

Classifications

• G01N2030/146

  using membranes · CPC title

• B01D15/125

  Pre-filtration · CPC title

• B01D29/56

  in series connection · CPC title

• B01D29/05 Primary

  supported · CPC title

• G01M3/02

  by using fluid or vacuum · CPC title