In embodiments of the invention, there is provided a dialyzer or filter comprising hollow fibers, in which blood flows on the exterior of the hollow fibers, and dialysate or filtrate may flow on the inside. The external surfaces of the hollow fibers may have properties of smoothness and hemocompatibility. The fiber bundle may have appropriate packing fraction and may have wavy fibers. Optimum shear rates and blood velocities are identified. Geometric features of the cartridge, such as pertaining to flow distribution of the blood, may be different for different ends of the cartridge. Air bleed and emboli traps may be provided. Lengthened service life may be achieved by combinations of these features, which may permit additional therapies and applications or better economics.

Inflow branch pipes of water to be treated, which are branched from an inflow line of the water to be treated, which is provided on an upper side of desalination chambers of an electrodeionization apparatus, communicate with the desalination chambers, respectively. Both ends of the inflow line of the water to be treated are opened, and a supply pipe of the water to be treated communicates with each of the ends so that the water to be treated can be supplied from both sides. In addition, in a lower side of each of the desalination chambers, outflow pipes of treated water, communicate with each other, and these outflow pipes each join an outflow line of the treated water. In addition, both ends of the outflow line of the water to be treated are opened so that the treated water can be discharged from both sides. According to such an electrodeionization apparatus, it is possible to suppress an increase in a differential pressure during passage of water.

A vacuum system for use with a deoxygenator system includes a housing, a movable assembly positioned within the housing, and a biasing mechanism coupling the movable assembly to the housing. The movable assembly is movable between a first position and a second position within the housing to form a low pressure area between the housing and the movable assembly. A control system including at least one pressure source is arranged in fluid communication with the low pressure area. The control system is operable to selectively communicate fluid from the at least one pressure source to the housing to form the low pressure area.

A water purifier includes a water purifier body including a housing and a filter provided in the housing to filter raw water introduced from outside of the water purifier body. A water discharge module including a water discharge nozzle is disposed on a front surface of the water purifier body to supply the water passing through the filter to the outside of the water purifier body. The water discharge module includes a case from which the water discharge nozzle extends at a lower end of the case. A protection cap is detachably coupled to the lower end of the case to cover at least a portion of the water discharge nozzle extending outside of the case.

The personal water enhancement device disclosed herein is designed for removing particulates and impurities from a volume of water and then adding a preferred combination of vitamins and minerals to such volume of water. In a preferred embodiment, the device may comprise a water purifier and filter, a user interface, a database of water formulations, a container for storing salts, and a mechanism for dispensing salts into water. Such a device may allow a user to add a pre-set or customized concentration of various salts and minerals to said volume of water as per their unique needs, and may further reduce both the environmental burden of plastic bottle production and the financial burden of bottled water consumption.

The invention relates to a filter element (1) comprising a drainage element (2) which is arranged between two filter membranes (3). According to the invention, said drainage element (2) is made of a non-woven filtering material which is arranged in a laminated manner between the filter membranes (3) respectively by means of an adhesive non-woven material (4). The invention also relates to a method for producing a filter element (1), a drainage element (2) made from a non-woven filtering material being laminated between two filter membranes (3). An adhesive non-woven material (4) is arranged between the drainage element (2) and each filter membrane (3), then lamination takes place due to the thermal effect under pressure.

An extracorporeal blood treatment machine for carrying out a blood treatment including a machine front on which a hollow fiber filter module is arranged in a horizontal position, which hollow fiber filter module includes a cylindrical housing, a blood chamber having a blood inlet nozzle and a blood outlet nozzle and a solution chamber having a solution inlet nozzle extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber filter module and a solution outlet nozzle extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber filter module, the solution chamber being semi-permeably communicated at least in portions with the blood chamber, wherein a height potential is present in the horizontal position between the solution inlet nozzle and the solution outlet nozzle so that drainage of solution is enabled via one of the solution nozzles and evacuation of air bubbles is enabled via an other of the solution nozzles.

A separation membrane module comprises a hollow module container, and an element unit which is housed in the module container. The element unit comprises a plurality of connected separation membrane elements each of which includes: a separation membrane for separating components of a substance flowing to the inside of the module container; and membrane bundle securing materials for securing both ends of the separation membrane. In the element unit, a flow channel for discharging the components separated by the separation membranes to the outside of the element unit is formed. Passage members though which the components separated by the separation membranes can pass toward the flow channel for discharging are disposed at connections between the plurality of separation membrane elements such that both end surfaces of each of the passage membranes are respectively in contact with the membrane bundle securing materials of the separation membrane elements adjacent thereto.

Described are wrapped fluid treatment elements, comprising: a composite material; an interleaf; and an inner core; wherein the composite material and the interleaf form layers wrapped around the inner core. The composite material and interleaf may be wrapped in a spiral configuration around the inner core. The invention also relates to a method of separating a substance from a fluid, comprising the step of placing the fluid in contact with an inventive device or element, thereby adsorbing or absorbing the substance to the composite material contained therein.

A sheet-shaped hollow fiber membrane module includes a casing having a flat shape, the casing including a supply port and a discharge port, and a plurality of hollow fiber membranes accommodated inside the casing. The casing includes a plurality of the supply ports on one main surface of the casing and a plurality of the discharge ports on the other main surface of the casing, at least one of the plurality of the supply ports is closable, and at least one of the plurality of the discharge ports is closable. Each of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes includes a first opening at one end of the hollow fiber membrane and a second opening at the other end of the hollow fiber membrane, and the first opening and the second opening communicate with an outside of the casing and do not communicate with an inside of the casing.