Disclosed are a method for whole blood filtration and a filter membrane structure for whole blood filtration, specifically including the following steps: (1) a filter membrane structure made up of at least two filtration membranes sequentially stacked from top to bottom is selected, and subjected to hemagglutinin treatment for later use; (2) a whole blood sample is added to the filter membrane structure for filtration; and (3) the filtered serum or plasma is collected. The filter membrane structure is composed of at least two filtration membranes stacked from top to bottom, and the pore sizes of the filtration membranes stacked gradually decrease from top to bottom, and the areas of the same gradually increase or are equal to each other from top to bottom.

The present invention provides a filter element for a blood processing filter, comprising a nonwoven fabric, wherein the rebound strength per unit basis weight (g/m.sup.2) before steam heat treatment is 0.3 (N.Math.m.sup.2/g) or larger.

A bioartificial liver device including a bioreaction chamber having a plurality of semi-permeable membranes and a plurality of filter spaces each confined by two adjacent semi-permeable membranes; a plurality of liver cell perfusion ports each communicating with one of the filter spaces for introducing the liver cells into the filter spaces, and a positive peristaltic pump. In the device, the semi-permeable membranes are disposed substantially horizontal with respect to the ground, and the positive peristaltic pump is adapted to drive the plasma flow from the bottom wall of the device to the top wall. The device of the invention improves the cell loading and the area for substance exchange between the blood and the liver cells.

Filtering systems, methods, and devices, particularly adapted for apheresis of cellular bodies and more specifically for apheresis of circulating tumor cell bodies (CTCs) employs a cross-flow channel. Systems and methods as well as devices for such a system are described. Embodiments include a cylindrical filter that employs a thin micro-machined porous filter membrane with a regular array of pores and reliably pass blood while trapping CTCs.

A blood treatment filter including: a filter container that introduces blood from an inlet into an internal space, and discharges treated blood from an outlet; a filter material that is housed in the filter container to partition the internal space into an inlet side space and an outlet side space, and filters the passing blood to remove a specific component; an inlet port that forms an inlet channel through which the blood flowing from the inlet to the internal space passes; an outlet port that forms an outlet channel through which the blood flowing from the internal space to the outlet passes, wherein the outlet channel has a tapered outlet passage with an inner diameter increasing from the internal space side toward the outlet side.

A method and system for collecting a double volume of red blood cells using a spinning membrane separator is provided by which a first quantity of whole blood is withdrawn from a donor; a first quantity of whole blood is flowed to the spinning membrane separator; where it is separated into a first quantity of red blood cells and a first quantity of plasma. The first quantity of red blood cells and the first quantity of plasma are then flowed to respective collection containers, and at least a portion of the first quantity of plasma is returned to the donor. A second quantity of whole blood withdrawn from the donor, and then separated into a second quantity of red blood cells and a second quantity of plasma using the spinning membrane separator. The second quantity of red blood cells and the second quantity of plasma are then flowed to the respective collection containers, and at least a portion of the second quantity of plasma is returned to the donor.

Flexible housing filters for filtration of fluids and methods of making such filters are disclosed. The filters may include one or more peripheral seals in the flexible housing.

A cell washing apparatus is provided to wash a cell-containing fluid. The apparatus is arranged to exchange one or more exchangeable entities from a cell-containing first fluid, and comprises, a first fluid conduit and a second fluid conduit, the second fluid conduit separated from the first fluid conduit by a semi-permeable membrane disposed therebetween; the first fluid conduit having a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet, the first fluid conduit arranged to transport the first fluid in a first direction between the first fluid inlet and the first fluid outlet; the second fluid conduit being arranged to house a second fluid; wherein the semi-permeable membrane comprises a plurality of pores arranged to permit transport of said one or more exchangeable entities from the first fluid to the second fluid; wherein the one or more exchangeable entities comprise free haemoglobin and/or blood plasma; and wherein the first fluid is whole blood isolated from a human body, or packed red blood cells. The cell washing apparatus of the present invention aims to solve the problem of harmful species that accumulate in a cell-containing fluid (such as, for example, transfusion blood) during storage and other applications, in which it is desired to transfer red blood cells to a clean suspending liquid.

The disclosed subject matter relates to extracorporeal blood processing or other processing of fluids. Volumetric fluid balance, a required element of many such processes, may be achieved with multiple pumps or other proportioning or balancing devices which are to some extent independent of each other. This need may arise in treatments that involve multiple fluids. Safe and secure mechanisms to ensure fluid balance in such systems are described.

The present invention features a filter canister device for filtering clot material from whole blood. The device includes an upper filter chamber and a lower filter chamber coupled to the upper filter chamber. The device further includes a coarse filter mesh disposed within the upper filter chamber, configured to capture the clot material from whole blood directed into the upper filter chamber, and a fine filter mesh disposed within the lower filter chamber, configured to filter the whole blood into filtered whole blood. The device further includes an inlet port fluidly coupled to the upper filter chamber, configured to accept the whole blood into the upper filter chamber. The device further includes an outlet port fluidly coupled to the lower filter chamber, configured to accept the filtered whole blood from the lower filter chamber and direct it to an external source.