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.

The disclosure describes a porous membrane including the following: at least one polymeric feature on a surface of a porous membrane wherein the at least one polymeric features are bonded to the membrane using a nanoscale injecting molding device. Another aspect of the disclosure includes a porous membrane including the following: a first film layer; a second film layer; at least one polymeric feature between the first film layer and second film layer, wherein the at least one polymeric feature is bonded to at least the first film layer.

Cation exchange membranes and materials including silica-based ceramics, and associated methods, are provided. In some aspects, cation exchange membranes that include a silica-based ceramic that forms a coating on and/or within a porous support membrane are described. The cation exchange membranes and materials may have certain structural or chemical attributes (e.g., pore size/distribution, chemical functionalization) that, alone or in combination, can result in advantageous performance characteristics in any of a variety of applications for which selective transport of positively charged ions through membranes/materials is desired. In some embodiments, the silica-based ceramic contains relatively small pores (e.g., substantially spherical nanopores) that may contribute to some such advantageous properties. In some embodiments, the cation exchange membrane or material includes sulfonate and/or sulfonic acid groups covalently bound to the silica-based ceramic.

A portable water purifying apparatus, including a shell and a hollow, elongated chamber. The apparatus includes a first opening that feeds into this chamber, through which the user draws contaminated water into the chamber, and a second opening for removing purified water from the chamber. Purification of the contaminated water drawn into the apparatus is effected by water purification media, which may include an ultrafiltration membrane; a halogenated resin; and granulated, activated carbon. The apparatus may also include one or more cleanable, removable, replaceable cartridges for containing the water purification media.

A portable water purifying apparatus, including a shell and a hollow, elongated chamber. The apparatus includes a first opening that feeds into this chamber, through which the user draws contaminated water into the chamber, and a second opening for removing purified water from the chamber. Purification of the contaminated water drawn into the apparatus is effected by water purification media, which may include an ultrafiltration membrane; a halogenated resin; and granulated, activated carbon. The apparatus may also include one or more cleanable, removable, replaceable cartridges for containing the water purification media.

A device includes (i) a housing defining an interior, wherein the interior has a blood compartment, a plasma compartment, and a fluid compartment; (ii) a first filter disposed in the interior of the housing, and (iii) a second filter disposed in the interior of the housing. The first filter separates at least a portion of the blood compartment from at least a portion of the plasma compartment. The first filter is configured to allow plasma components, but not cell components, of blood to pass through the first filter from the blood compartment to the plasma compartment. The second filter separates at least a portion of the plasma compartment from at least a portion of the fluid compartment. The second filter is configured to allow fluid and small molecules, but not larger components, to pass through the second filter from the plasma compartment to the fluid compartment. The device may include a sorbent in the plasma compartment to remove or reduce the concentration of selected components of the plasma. In embodiments, a system including the device includes a sorbent with which the plasma may be contacted.

Provided is a multi-functional filter including a first filter and a second filter to purify a biological fluid, a housing defining an adsorption section outside of the first filter and the second filter, a flow partitioning connector connecting the first filter and the second filter, and a housing port allowing a fluid to flow through the adsorption section. The housing may comprise a wall, a first cap coupled to the first filter at one end of the wall along a longitudinal direction, and a second cap coupled to the second filter at the other end of the wall along a longitudinal direction. The multi-functional filter according to the present invention in which dialysis, adsorption, and plasma separation or ultrafiltration are integrated to purify blood or dialysate and the internal flow is facilitated may provide a blood purifying apparatus that simplifies the whole apparatus, provides convenience in installation and use, and reduces a treatment cost.

Provided is a temperature-based dialysate regeneration device for regulating a temperature of dialysate discharged from a hemodialyzer to remove uremic toxins and waste therefrom, the temperature-based dialysate regeneration device including: a Joule-Thomson refrigerator, including a compressor, condenser, expander and evaporator, an adsorbent column, and a dialysate heat exchanger in which heat transfer occurs between dialysates. The refrigerant used for the JT refrigerator may be a mixture of two or more refrigerants to enhance the heat transfer generated by the latent heat in the evaporator and the condenser.

A water filter cartridge is reduced in fluctuation in filtration flow rate or in filtration performance due to activated carbon, and can exhibit stable performance even at the time of large scale production; and a water purifier is equipped with the water filter cartridge. A water filter cartridge having particulate activated carbon filled in a case for accommodating a filtering material in which the ratio of the total mass of particulate activated carbon having a particle size of 0.3 to 4.0 mm relative to the total mass of activated carbon is 97% by mass or more, and, in a particle size distribution which represents the relationship of the mass ratio of activated carbon relative to the particle size of activated carbon, a peak at which the mass ratio is 31% by mass or more does not appear in a particle size range of from 0.3 to 4.0 mm.