Gas filter systems for fluid processing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10688429-B2
Application number	US-201414587976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2014
Priority date	Mar 21, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A filter assembly includes a casing having of a polymeric film and bounding a compartment, the casing having an inlet opening communicating with the compartment and a first outlet opening communicating with the compartment. A first filter includes a porous filter body through which gas can pass and has a pore size smaller than 1 μm, the first filter being coupled with the casing so that the filter body is at least partially disposed within compartment of the casing and so that gas passing through the compartment of the casing from the inlet opening to the first outlet opening must pass through the filter body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas filter system comprising:
a filter assembly comprising:
a casing comprising:
a tubular first sleeve comprised of a polymeric film and bounding a compartment, the first sleeve having an inlet opening communicating with the compartment and a first outlet opening communicating with the compartment, the compartment of the first sleeve being sterile; and
a tubular second sleeve having a first end coupled with the first sleeve and an opposing second end with a second outlet opening formed thereat;

a first exhaust port bounding a port opening, the first exhaust port being coupled with the first sleeve;
a first filter comprising a porous filter body through which gas can pass and which has a pore size smaller than 1 μm, the first filter being coupled with the first exhaust port so that the filter body is at least partially disposed within the compartment of the first sleeve and so that during use when gas passes through the compartment of the first sleeve from the inlet opening to the first outlet opening, the gas first passes through at least a portion of the compartment of the first sleeve so as to communicate directly with the first sleeve and then passes through the filter body; and
a second filter comprising a porous filter body through which gas can pass and which has a pore size smaller than 1 μm, the second filter being coupled with the second sleeve so that the filter body of the second filter is at least partially disposed within the second sleeve; and

a closed, sterile environment coupled with the inlet opening of the first sleeve so that gas can pass into the compartment of the first sleeve from the closed, sterile environment or by passing through the first filter.

2. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the casing comprises a collapsible polymeric bag.

3. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the casing will fail by rupture when the compartment is filled with a gas so as to have a gas pressure greater than 50 kPa.

4. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an intake port bounding a port opening, the intake port being coupled with the inlet opening of the first sleeve so that the port opening communicates with the compartment of the first sleeve.

5. The gas filter system as recited in claim 4 , wherein the port opening of the intake port has a maximum transverse diameter that is greater than 4 cm.

6. The gas filter system as recited in claim 4 , wherein the inlet port is molded from a polymer and is more rigid than the casing.

7. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first filter is removably coupled to the first exhaust port.

8. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the port opening of the first exhaust port has a maximum diameter that is greater than 5 cm.

9. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising: the second sleeve being comprised of a polymeric film and a clamp extending across and collapsing a portion of the second sleeve so that gas entering the compartment of the first sleeve through the inlet opening can access the first filter in the first sleeve but cannot access the second filter in the second sleeve.

10. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
the filter body of the first filter having an elongated cylindrical configuration with an exterior surface; and
the first sleeve having an interior surface that encircles the filter body of the first filter, a gap being formed between the exterior surface of the filter body of the first filter and the interior surface of the first sleeve when the first sleeve is inflated that is in a range between about 0.2 cm and 3 cm.

11. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a first flexible bag bounding a compartment, the first flexible bag being coupled with the inlet opening of the first sleeve so that the compartment of the first flexible bag communicates with the compartment of the first sleeve, the compartment of the first flexible bag comprising at least a portion of the closed, sterile environment, the casing being disposed outside of the compartment of the first flexible bag.

12. The gas filter system as recited in claim 11 , further comprising a second flexible bag bounding a compartment, the second flexible bag being coupled with the first flexible bag so that the compartment of the second flexible bag communicates with the compartment of the first flexible bag, the compartment of the second flexible bag comprising at least a portion of the closed, sterile-environment.

13. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a tubular fill line coupled with the first sleeve at a location between and spaced apart from the inlet opening and the first outlet opening, the fill line projecting outside of the compartment of the first sleeve.

14. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the porous filter body of the first filter is hydrophobic.

15. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the filter body of the first filter comprises polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

16. The gas filter system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the fill line has a first end coupled with the first sleeve and an opposing second end having a connector secured thereto, the connector being disposed outside of the compartment of the first sleeve.

17. The gas filter system as recited in claim 13 , wherein a clamp is disposed on the fill line so as to block the passage of gas therethrough, the clamp being disposed outside of the compartment of the first sleeve.

18. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an electrical heating jacket encircling the first sleeve so as to sit directly against the first sleeve.

19. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the porous filter body of the first filter has a cylindrical side surface and a blind channel that centrally extends along a length of filter body.

20. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first sleeve comprises a two-dimensional bag that includes a first sheet of the polymeric film and a second sheet of the polymeric film, the first sheet overlying and being directly bonded to the second sheet so that the compartment is bounded between the first sheet and the second sheet.

21. The gas filter system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first flexible bag is disposed outside of the compartment of the first sleeve.

22. The gas filter system recited in claim 11 , further comprising means for mixing fluid contained within the first flexible bag.

23. The gas filter system recited in claim 11 , further comprising a movable mixing element disposed within the compartment of the first flexible bag.

24. The gas filter system recited in claim 23 , wherein the mixing element comprises an impeller.

25. The gas filter system as recited in claim 12 , wherein each of the casing, the first flexible bag and the second flexible bag are disposed outside of each other.

26. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the inlet opening passes through the polymeric film of the casing at a first location and the first outlet opening passes through the polymeric film at a second location spaced apart from the first location.

27. The gas filter system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising the second sleeve being comprised of a pol

Assignees

• Life Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Brown Jason D
• Staheli Clinton C
• Jones Nephi D

Classifications

• B01F27/2121

  composed of interconnected parts · CPC title

• B01F23/231262

  having disc shape · CPC title

• B01F27/88

  with a separate receptacle-stirrer unit that is adapted to be coupled to a drive mechanism · CPC title

• B01F27/90

  with paddles or arms · CPC title

• C12M23/14 Primary

  Bags · CPC title