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.

A filter unit for a mixing apparatus includes a hydrophilic filter and a hydrophobic vent filter. The hydrophilic filter is configured to receive a fluid including a liquid and gas. The hydrophilic filter is further configured to sterilize the liquid. The hydrophobic vent filter is configured to receive the gas from the hydrophilic filter. The hydrophobic vent filter further includes a vent and a membrane configured to separate an interior of the filter unit from an exterior of the filter unit, the gas being vented from the filter unit by flowing across the membrane and out of the vent. In some embodiments, the filter unit further includes a defoaming device configured to receive gas, foam comprised the liquid containing trapped gas, and some of the liquid from the hydrophilic filter and is further configured to release at least some of the gas from the foam.

A biocompatible polymeric membrane includes pores defined between two material layers, where the first membrane material layer includes strips, and the second membrane material binds to each of the plurality of first membrane material layer strips includes a plurality of windows exposing each of the first membrane material strips. The biocompatible polymeric filtration membrane comprises pores defined by uniform passages defined by the first membrane material layer strips and the second membrane material layer within each window.

A filtration device (1) has a housing (4) and a filter module (2) with hollow fibers (32) surrounded by an outer shell (5). The hollow fiber bundle (6) is sealed to the outer shell (5) at each end by an adhesive (11) transverse to the longitudinal direction (10). Each end of the hollow fibers (32) is unclosed. An unfiltered product chamber (20) is between the outer shell (5) and a wall (19) of the filter housing (4) and a filtered product chamber (13) is inside the filter module (2). The bottom end of the filter module (2) connects with an intermediate section (3) that connects with a receptacle (17) of a bottom portion (15) of the filter housing (4). The intermediate section (3) forms a connection chamber (26) facing the hollow fiber ends (29) and radial feed channels (28) connect the connection chamber (26) with the unfiltered product chamber (20).

A water filter unit for purifying water fed to the water filter unit. The unit includes a containment defined by a wall section, first and second end sections, wherein the wall section is attached to the first end section and the second end section; a water inlet arranged in the first or second end section through which the water is fed into the containment; a filter membrane arranged in the containment such that at least part of the water is fed through the filter membrane; and a first water outlet for filtered water from the membrane. The unit further includes an injector pump arranged to create an increased flow velocity trough the injector pump of the water fed to the filter membrane, and the injector pump is furthermore arranged to receive unfiltered water not fed through the membrane and recirculate the unfiltered water within the containment.

A venting apparatus is disclosed herein. The venting apparatus comprises a substrate, such as a metal substrate or a specialty plastic substrate, having an opening therein and a fluoropolymer membrane, such as ePTFE, disposed over said opening and thermally bonded using a thermoplastic material to said substrate. This allows the fluoropolymer membrane to be directly bonded to the said substrate without using an adhesive layer.

A portable liquid-filtration device includes an inlet port, a filtering portion including a filtering medium and fluidly coupled to the inlet port, a filtered-liquid output port fluidly coupled to the filtering portion, a flush port fluidly coupled to the filtering portion, and a manually activated pump assembly fluidly coupled to the inlet port, filtering portion, output port and flush port. The pump assembly is configured, when activated, to create a negative fluid pressure at the inlet port and a positive fluid pressure at the output port and the flush port. As a consequence of activation of the pump assembly, the filtering portion receives unfiltered liquid from the inlet port, the output port receives from the filtering portion only liquid traversing the filtering medium in a first direction, and the flush port receives from the filtering portion liquid traversing the filtering medium in a second direction different from the first direction.

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.

A laminate is provided comprising at least one polysulfone and/or polyethersulfone porous membrane heat bonded to a polyvinylidene fluoride substrate.

A laminate is provided comprising at least one polysulfone and/or polyethersulfone porous membrane heat bonded to a polyvinylidene fluoride substrate.