A security system for a fluid filtration device and, more particularly, a security system that is adapted to pair a filter with a fluid filtration device, log an effectiveness of each individually serialized filter, prevent re-usage of a filter in more than one filtration device and prevent usage of a filter for greater than its preprogrammed lifespan.

The invention relates to a filter device at least consisting of a housing (3, 5) and a filter element (23) that can be received in the housing in a replaceable manner and engages, with at least two key (53, 56, 58) or lock parts, in correspondingly embodied lock (57) or key parts of the housing (3, 5), which are associated with each other respectively in pairs in an engaged manner, as coding means and/or setting means and/or functional means and/or reproduction protection means.

A filter element has a filter body which is closed on at least one end face by an end disc, wherein the end disc is formed from a potting compound, and has a stabilization device which is surrounded at least in some areas by the potting compound. At least one data storage unit is arranged on or in the stabilization device.

Systems and methods for determining whether an authorized or genuine filter element is installed in a filtration system are described. The authorized filter determination may be based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. RFID readers with antennas in the monitored filter systems read the RFID tag information from the installed filter elements and feed any detected information into the filter monitoring system. The filter monitoring system or a remote diagnostic system analyzes the returned data (or absence thereof) to determine if a genuine (i.e., authorized, OEM approved, etc.) filter element is installed or not.

Aspects herein include filter systems including short-range wireless tracking features to detect insertion and/or removal of filter elements from filter systems. In an embodiment, a filtration system is included having a housing including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The housing can define an internal volume. A first filter element can be removably disposed within the housing. A short-range wireless communication tag can be associated with the first filter element. A short-range wireless communication reader can be associated with the housing, the reader configured to wirelessly send data to and receive data from the tag when the reader and the tag are at a distance that is less than or equal to a maximum communication distance. Removal of the first filter element from the housing can cause the distance between the tag and the reader to exceed the maximum communication distance. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Devices and methods are provided that permit efficient and selective separation of liquid biological specimens into at least two constituent components to facilitate subsequent quantitative and qualitative analysis on at least one analyte of interest in at least one of the components. The devices generally include one or more sample deposition regions supported on a base. Each sample deposition region includes a separation membrane for separating the liquid biological specimen into two different fractions. The first fraction is trapped by the separation membrane while the second fraction passes through the separation membrane and into a respective collection membrane. The separation and collection membranes are easily separable from the devices and can be utilized for further processing and analysis.

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a filter replacement kit that includes a filter cartridge. The filter cartridge includes a filter body, a filter media disposed within the filter body, a neck portion having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, and a cartridge engagement mechanism on the neck portion for engaging a manifold assembly. The cartridge engagement mechanism includes at least one filter engagement surface. The filter replacement kit also includes compatibility indicia indicating that the filter cartridge is compatible with at least one appliance. The at least one appliance includes the manifold assembly including a manifold engagement mechanism having a manifold engagement surface with first and second horizontal portions, and an angled portion disposed between and joining the first horizontal portion to the second horizontal portion, wherein the filter engagement surface is non-congruent to the manifold engagement surface.

A water filter system for an appliance includes a filter head assembly, a first appliance control unit positioned proximate the filter head assembly and a water filter having a memory storage unit. The water filter is selectively placed in communication with the first appliance control unit to define a filter use state. The filter use state is further defined by a first potential fluid-flow rate through the water filter and a predetermined lifetime fluid filtration amount. A data transfer mechanism defines a second data-transfer protocol between the memory storage unit and the first appliance control unit when an actual fluid filtration amount of the water filter reaches the predetermined lifetime fluid filtration amount. The second data transfer protocol defines a notification state defined by a second potential fluid flow rate, the second potential fluid flow rate being less than the first potential fluid flow rate.

A system and method for filtering a fluid includes a manifold and a filter releasably connected to the manifold that includes a memory storage device. A filter valve in fluid communication with the manifold has an open position that allows the fluid to flow through the filter and a shut position that prevents the fluid from flowing through the filter valve. A sensor in fluid communication with the manifold generates a fluid parameter signal reflective of a characteristic of the fluid flowing through the manifold. A controller receives the fluid parameter signal and positions the filter valve to the shut position when the fluid parameter signal meets a predetermined fluid condition.

A filter press (100) is described comprising: a plurality of filtration chambers (155) each of which is delimited by two mutually facing filtering septa (140, 145) interposed between a pair of containment plates (105), a movement apparatus adapted to move each pair of containment plates (105) between a closed configuration and an open configuration, an inlet hydraulic circuit of the liquid to be filtered, an outlet hydraulic circuit of the filtered liquid, and a washing robot (400) adapted to wash the filtering septa (140, 145) that delimit each filtration chamber (155), wherein said washing robot (400) comprises: a trolley (405) adapted to move along a longitudinal direction (A) with respect to the containment plates (105), a bar (445) installed on the trolley (405) and movable relative thereto in a transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal direction (A), and a plurality of nozzles (450) installed on said bar (445) to dispense jets of a washing liquid toward said filtering septa (140, 145), the filter press further comprising: a plurality of identification codes, each of which is fixed to at least one respective filtering septum (140, 145), a device for detecting said identification codes installed on the trolley (405) of the washing robot (400), at least one image acquisition device (600) installed on the bar (445) of the washing robot (400) to acquire images of said filtering septa (140, 145), and an electronic processing unit connected to the identification code detection device and to the image acquisition device (600).