Virus and microbe-killing, self-sterilizing resistive heated air filters and methods of making and using same methods. The air filter is includes laser-induced graphene (LIG), a porous conductive graphene foam formed through photothermal conversion of a polyimide film (or another source or source of polymer or other LIG precursor material) by a laser source. The LIG in the air filter can capture particulates and bacteria. The bacteria cannot proliferate even when submerged in culture medium. Through a periodic Joule-heating mechanism, the filter easily reaches greater than 300? C. This destroys any microorganisms including bacteria, along with molecules that can cause adverse biological reactions and diseases such as viruses, pyrogens, allergens, exotoxins, endotoxins, teichoic acids, mycotoxins, nucleic acids, and prions.

A blood clot removal device for removing blood clots from the vascular system of a patient is implantable in the patient's body. The blood clot removal device comprises a blood flow passageway to be connected to the patient's vascular system to allow circulation of the patient's blood through the blood flow passageway, a filter provided in the blood flow passageway for collecting blood clots occurring in the blood flowing through the blood flow passageway, and a cleaning device for moving blood clots collected by the filter out of the blood flow passageway. By means of such blood clot removal device, the risk of blood clots reaching sensitive areas of the patient's body, such as the brain, is reduced.

An implantable drainage device is provided. The device is adapted to move body fluid from one part of the body of a patient to another part of the body. The invention also extends to a filter adapted to filter particles from a drained fluid.

An apparatus and a method are provided for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) home air filter to remove airborne molecular contaminants and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air within residential spaces. The HVAC home air filter a supportive frame having a shape and size suitable to orient the HVAC home air filter within a residential HVAC system. A filter medium is retained within the supportive frame to remove the airborne molecular contaminants and VOCs from air flowing through the residential HVAC system. The filter medium is a combination of media layers configured to exhibit a relatively high filtration efficiency and a low air pressure drop across the filter medium. The supportive frame comprises a plurality of elongate sections and corner sections disposed along perimeter edges of the filter medium to support the filter medium within the residential HVAC system so as direct air through the filter medium.

An apparatus and a method are provided for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) home air filter to remove airborne molecular contaminants and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air within residential spaces. The HVAC home air filter a supportive frame having a shape and size suitable to orient the HVAC home air filter within a residential HVAC system. A filter medium is retained within the supportive frame to remove the airborne molecular contaminants and VOCs from air flowing through the residential HVAC system. The filter medium is a combination of media layers configured to exhibit a relatively high filtration efficiency and a low air pressure drop across the filter medium. The supportive frame comprises a plurality of elongate sections and corner sections disposed along perimeter edges of the filter medium to support the filter medium within the residential HVAC system so as direct air through the filter medium.

A wind scavenger including a frame, a litter collection unit, a lower gear-wheel assembly, an upper gear-wheel assembly, a net element, and a fan system is provided. The litter collection unit is attached to a base member of the frame. The litter collection unit includes a receptacle for collecting litter. The net element includes flexibly jointed plates for catching the litter blown by wind. The fan system is connected to the upper gear-wheel assembly via a power transmission system. The fan system, in communication with the wind, rotates the upper gear-wheel assembly and in turn rotates the net element around the upper gear-wheel assembly and the lower gear-wheel assembly and vice versa. The rotation of the net element from the upper gear-wheel assembly to the lower gear-wheel assembly conveys the litter caught by the flexibly jointed plates of the net element into the receptacle of the litter collection unit.

A wind scavenger including a frame, a litter collection unit, a lower gear-wheel assembly, an upper gear-wheel assembly, a net element, and a fan system is provided. The litter collection unit is attached to a base member of the frame. The litter collection unit includes a receptacle for collecting litter. The net element includes flexibly jointed plates for catching the litter blown by wind. The fan system is connected to the upper gear-wheel assembly via a power transmission system. The fan system, in communication with the wind, rotates the upper gear-wheel assembly and in turn rotates the net element around the upper gear-wheel assembly and the lower gear-wheel assembly and vice versa. The rotation of the net element from the upper gear-wheel assembly to the lower gear-wheel assembly conveys the litter caught by the flexibly jointed plates of the net element into the receptacle of the litter collection unit.

A system and method for removing retentate from filters is disclosed, which utilizes pressurized and/or vacuum fluid through localized application. The disclosure describes a cleaning system and sequence of steps for carrying out the cleaning process, whereby, a fluid is directed to flow through a localized region of the filter media, thereby dislodging and removing accumulated retentate from the filter. In addition, the localized application of fluid flow allows for localized monitoring of the cleanliness of the filter with a high degree of spatial resolution. This filter retentate removal system and method is broadly applicable to a wide range of systems and processes ranging to engines and exhaust systems to production plants and equipment.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods operable to reduce catalyst fouling by removing solid particulates from a heated fluid stream upstream of a catalyst using one or more flue gas strainer apparatuses that may be cleaned or serviced without ceasing or disrupting heating or catalytic operations. The flue gas strainer apparatuses may include a housing having a front end and a back end, the housing comprising a receiving portion, an outer edge, an inner edge, and an inner bore extending from the front end to the back end of the housing along the inner edge. The inner bore is operable to allow a heated fluid stream to pass therethrough. The flue gas strainer apparatus may also include a moveable strainer portion comprising one or more removable mesh portions. Each of the one or more removable mesh portions may have a plurality of pores and configured to capture solid particulates suspended in the heated fluid stream. The one or more removable mesh portions may be operable to be removingly received in the receiving portion of the housing.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods operable to reduce catalyst fouling by removing solid particulates from a heated fluid stream upstream of a catalyst using one or more flue gas strainer apparatuses that may be cleaned or serviced without ceasing or disrupting heating or catalytic operations. The flue gas strainer apparatuses may include a housing having a front end and a back end, the housing comprising a receiving portion, an outer edge, an inner edge, and an inner bore extending from the front end to the back end of the housing along the inner edge. The inner bore is operable to allow a heated fluid stream to pass therethrough. The flue gas strainer apparatus may also include a moveable strainer portion comprising one or more removable mesh portions. Each of the one or more removable mesh portions may have a plurality of pores and configured to capture solid particulates suspended in the heated fluid stream. The one or more removable mesh portions may be operable to be removingly received in the receiving portion of the housing.