A consumable device comprising a substantially rigid two-layer main body, window for receiving a membrane, and an electronic tag for storing and communicating information, wherein the consumable device is configured to be received by a molecular filtration device for the purpose of creating a channel within which a solution may be inserted to purify molecules or exchange a buffer solution.

A consumable device comprising a substantially rigid two-layer main body, window for receiving a membrane, and an electronic tag for storing and communicating information, wherein the consumable device is configured to be received by a molecular filtration device for the purpose of creating a channel within which a solution may be inserted to purify molecules or exchange a buffer solution.

A method of providing a plurality of filled product bags of sterile fluid includes positioning a bag assembly onto a filling machine. The bag assembly includes a tube, a filter assembly, bladders, and stems. A stem is attached to a bladder, forms a fluid passageway, fluidly connects to the tube, and provides fluid communication into the bladders. The method includes fluidly coupling an inlet of the filter assembly to a connection line in fluid communication with a fluid source, and filling the bag assembly with a fluid. Filling the bag assembly includes passing the fluid through the filter assembly, the fluid passageway, and into the bladder. The method includes sealing the fluid passageway at a location between the tube and the bladders. The method includes cutting the stem to form a partially filled product bag having the sealed passageway. The method includes performing an integrity test on the filter assembly.

A method of providing a plurality of filled product bags of sterile fluid includes positioning a bag assembly onto a filling machine. The bag assembly includes a tube, a filter assembly, bladders, and stems. A stem is attached to a bladder, forms a fluid passageway, fluidly connects to the tube, and provides fluid communication into the bladders. The method includes fluidly coupling an inlet of the filter assembly to a connection line in fluid communication with a fluid source, and filling the bag assembly with a fluid. Filling the bag assembly includes passing the fluid through the filter assembly, the fluid passageway, and into the bladder. The method includes sealing the fluid passageway at a location between the tube and the bladders. The method includes cutting the stem to form a partially filled product bag having the sealed passageway. The method includes performing an integrity test on the filter assembly.

A method of reducing resource utilization for sterile filter validation includes obtaining historical datasets that each include respective values of a plurality of parameters associated with a respective sterile filtration process for a respective protein molecule, and generating, by processing the plurality of historical datasets, a PCA model. Vectors of the PCA model correspond to differently weighted combinations of the plurality of parameters, and collectively define a model space. The method also includes obtaining a target dataset that corresponds to a sterile filtration process for a target protein molecule, and includes target values of the plurality of parameters. The method also includes mapping the target values onto the model space, determining whether the mapped target values fall within a normal operating region of the model and error space, and causing sterile filter validation to be selectively bypassed or not bypassed accordingly.

Methods of detecting, quantifying and/or characterizing the fouling of a device from a combination of pressure and spectroscopic data are provided. The device can be any device containing components susceptible to fouling. Components can include membranes, pipes, or reactors. Suitable devices include membrane devices, heat exchangers, and chemical or bio-reactors. Membrane devices can include, for example, microfiltration devices, ultrafiltration devices, nanofiltration devices, reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, osmosis, reverse electrodialysis, electro-deionisation or membrane distillation devices. The methods can be applied to any type of membrane, including tubular, spiral, hollow fiber, flat sheet, and capillary membranes. The spectroscopic characterization can include measuring one or more of the absorption, fluorescence, or raman spectroscopic data of one or more foulants. The methods can allow for the early detection and/or characterization of fouling. The characterization can include determining the specific foulant(s) or type of foulant(s) present. The characterization of fouling can allow for the selection of an appropriate de-fouling method and timing.

Methods of detecting, quantifying and/or characterizing the fouling of a device from a combination of pressure and spectroscopic data are provided. The device can be any device containing components susceptible to fouling. Components can include membranes, pipes, or reactors. Suitable devices include membrane devices, heat exchangers, and chemical or bio-reactors. Membrane devices can include, for example, microfiltration devices, ultrafiltration devices, nanofiltration devices, reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, osmosis, reverse electrodialysis, electro-deionisation or membrane distillation devices. The methods can be applied to any type of membrane, including tubular, spiral, hollow fiber, flat sheet, and capillary membranes. The spectroscopic characterization can include measuring one or more of the absorption, fluorescence, or raman spectroscopic data of one or more foulants. The methods can allow for the early detection and/or characterization of fouling. The characterization can include determining the specific foulant(s) or type of foulant(s) present. The characterization of fouling can allow for the selection of an appropriate de-fouling method and timing.

A method for determining a vehicle heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) passenger cabin air filter filtration performance includes determining a vehicle-exterior atmospheric particulate contaminant concentration, a passenger cabin air filter efficiency, and an HVAC airflow rate. The passenger cabin particulate contaminant concentration is calculated from the determined atmospheric particulate contaminant concentration, passenger cabin air filter efficiency, and HVAC airflow rate.

This invention uses multiple pairs of electrodes acting as electrical conductivity sensors that are secured at specific locations within spiral wound membrane elements and their interconnecting components of a reverse osmosis or nanofiltration pressure vessel. Each electrode pair might be attached to a wire cord to be inserted through and sealed against a vessel end cap into the permeate carrier tubes and interconnecting components of the membrane elements, or each electrode pair might be attached to a battery and a wireless transmitting device. Conductivity measurements from the sensors would be communicated to a microprocessor, which would evaluate each permeate conductivity measurement relative to other permeate conductivity measurements, as well as relative to derived or measured conductivities in the saline water in calculating a percent salt passage value specific to the location of each permeate sensor.

Provided is a membrane distillation system capable of real-time monitoring on membrane scaling, which includes: a raw water storage tank configured to store various kinds of fluid; a membrane distillation water treatment unit configured to receive raw water stored in the raw water storage tank to generate pure water, the membrane distillation water treatment unit having an inlet water chamber into which an inlet water flows from the raw water storage tank, a membrane for separating the inlet water in the inlet water chamber into a steam and a concentrated water, and a treated water chamber for receiving the steam separated by the membrane and concentrating the steam; and a membrane wetting detection unit disposed opposite to the membrane to detect a membrane wetting phenomenon and a membrane wetting location of the membrane by measuring a light passing through the membrane in real time.