Filtration device, method for assembling a modular filtration device, and method for characterizing a filter medium and/or a medium to be filtered

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11969688-B2
Application number	US-201816649614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2018
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

The invention relates to a filtration device and to a method for characterizing a filter medium or a medium to be filtered. The filtration device comprises a plurality of filtration units. Each filtration unit comprises a first container, which is designed to receive a medium to be filtered, a second container, which is designed to receive a filtrate, at least one connecting line, which connects the first container to the second container, and a filter medium between the first container and the second container in order to filter the medium to be filtered. The first container is designed for the application of positive pressure thereto, and the second container is designed to receive a measurement instrument at ambient pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A filtration device comprising:
a plurality of filtration units, each filtration unit comprising:
a first container configured to receive a medium to be filtered;
a second container configured to receive a filtrate;
at least one connecting line connecting the first container to the second container; and
a filter medium between the first container and the second container in order to filter the medium to be filtered,

wherein the first container is configured to be subjected to positive pressure,
wherein the second container is configured to receive a measurement instrument at ambient pressure, and
wherein the at least one connecting line comprises a fluid passageway that extends between the first and second containers, and a flow direction of the medium through the at least one connecting line changes as the medium flows from the first container to the second container.

2. The filtration device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow direction of the medium through the connecting line changes from a vertical direction to a horizontal direction.

3. The filtration device according to claim 1 , wherein respective first and second containers of a respective filtration unit are arranged with the first and second containers in the same horizontal plane.

4. The filtration device according to claim 1 , wherein each filtration unit has an opening in its upper region, the opening being configured to receive a measurement instrument that can be introduced into the second container to contact the filtrate located therein.

5. The filtration device according to claim 1 , wherein the filtration device is modular and comprises at least a first module and a second module, the first module comprising the first container and the second container of the plurality of filtration units.

6. The filtration device according to claim 5 , wherein the second module comprises the at least one connecting line of the plurality of filtration units.

7. The filtration device according to claim 6 , wherein the filter medium of a filtration unit is attached at least partially between the first module and the second module of the filtration device.

8. The filtration device according to claim 7 , wherein the second module of the filtration device comprises a porous carrier material that supports the filter medium.

9. The filtration device according to claim 6 , wherein:
the first module comprises a container plate with one or more openings configured to apply positive pressure to the first containers and/or to allow a measurement instrument to access the second containers;
the second module comprises a connecting line plate having a plurality of the at least one connecting lines; and
at least one of the filter mediums of the respective filtration units is attached between the container plate of the first module and the connecting line plate of the second module.

10. The filtration device according to claim 9 , wherein the first module further comprises a cover plate with the one or more openings.

11. The filtration device according to claim 9 , wherein the second module of the filtration device further comprises an end plate.

12. The filtration device according to claim 11 , wherein the end plate comprises segments of the connecting lines.

13. A method for assembling a modular filtration device with a plurality of filtration units, the modular filtration device comprising a plurality of first containers and a plurality of second containers, with each of the filtration units comprising a respective one of the first container and a respective one of the second container, the method comprising the steps of:
attaching at least one filter medium to a connecting line plate; and
arranging a container plate on the connecting line plate, the container plate comprising the plurality of first and second containers, wherein the first container of a respective one of the plurality of filtration units is configured to receive a medium to be filtered and the second container of the respective one of the plurality of filtration units is configured to receive a filtrate,
wherein the at least one filter medium is at least partially located between the connecting line plate and the container plate, and the respective first and second containers of a respective one of the plurality of filtration units are connected by one or more connecting lines of the connecting plate,
wherein the one or more connecting lines comprise fluid passageways,
wherein the first container of a respective one of the filtration units is configured to be subjected to positive pressure through a first opening, and
wherein the second container of a respective one of the filtration units has a second opening through which a measurement instrument can be received in the second container at ambient pressure.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
arranging a cover plate on the container plate, the cover plate comprising the first and second openings of the plurality of filtration units.

15. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
filling the connecting lines of the connecting line plate with a fluid prior to the at least one filter medium being attached to the connecting plate.

16. The method according to claim 13 , furthermore comprising the step of:
filling the first containers of a plurality of filtration units with a medium to be filtered after arranging the container plate on the connecting line plate.

17. A method for characterizing a filter medium and/or a medium to be filtered, comprising the steps of:
arranging a filtration device having a plurality of filtration units on a pipetting robot, each filtration unit respectively comprising:
a first container configured to receive a medium to be filtered,
a second container configured to receive a filtrate,
at least one connecting line connecting the first container to the second container, and
a filter medium between the first container and the second container in order to filter the medium to be filtered;
wherein the at least one connecting line comprises a fluid passageway and a flow direction of the medium through the at least one connecting line changes as the medium flows from the first container to the second container,
wherein the first container is configured to be subjected to positive pressure, and the second container is configured to receive a measurement instrument at ambient pressure;

applying positive pressure to at least a part of the first containers of a plurality of filtration units in order to filter the medium to be filtered through the filter medium and transfer it into a corresponding second container; and
measuring the filtrates at ambient pressure in at least a part of the second containers by means of an introduced measurement instrument.

18. The method of according to claim 17 , wherein the measuring of the filtrates at ambient pressure occurs during the application of positive pressure to the at least a part of the first containers.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the measuring of the filtrates at ambient pressure in the at least a part of the second containers is carried out continuously and/or at regular time intervals by means of an introduced measurement instrument.

20. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising the step of:
measuring initial fill levels of the filtrates in the at least a part of the second containers after arrangement of the filtration device on the pip

Assignees

• Sartorius Stedim Biotech Gmbh

Inventors

• Thom Volkmar
• Hansmann Björn
• Warnke Magnus
• Kosiol Peter

Classifications

• B01D2313/903

  Integrated control or detection device · CPC title

• B01D46/442 Primary

  by measuring the concentration of particles · CPC title

• B01D24/002

  with multiple filtering elements in parallel connection · CPC title

• B01D46/58

  connected in parallel · CPC title

• B01D2221/10

  Separation devices for use in medical, pharmaceutical or laboratory applications, e.g. separating amalgam from dental treatment residues · CPC title