An example separation system includes a stack of membrane plate assemblies. An example membrane plate assembly may include membranes bonded to opposite sides of a spacer plate. The spacer plate may include a first opening in fluid communication with a region between the membranes, and a second opening in fluid communication with a region between membrane plate assemblies. Adjacent membrane plate assemblies in the stack may have alternating orientations such that bonding areas for adjacent membranes in the stack may be staggered. Accordingly, two isolated flows may be provided which may be orthogonal from one another.

A filter device includes one or more filter membranes, and a filter housing enclosing the one or more filter membranes. Each of the filter membranes includes a base membrane made of a ceramic material, and a plurality of through holes. The base membrane is coated with a coating material.

A sealing case for a filtration cassette that reliably prevents leaks after assembly and installation into a filtration system. The sealing case fits on the filtration cassette and provides a fluid-tight seal between the sealing case and around at least one port in the filtration cassette when installed in a filtration system. The sealing case may comprise two halves that mate together, and each half may be identical. The internal surface of the sealing case is flat or substantially flat.

A membrane module comprising a cylindrical housing containing a plurality of flat sheet membranes oriented parallel with a longitudinal central axis of the housing, the edges of the one or more flat sheet membranes being embedded in a potting material.

A membrane assembly for separating a feed liquid into a permeate and a retentate includes a semipermeable membrane and conductive members for applying a voltage effective for charging a semipermeable surface of the membrane, thereby reducing or preventing fouling or scaling of the membrane. The conductive members may be positioned adjacent to the semipermeable membrane, and may be configured as feed spacers or permeate spacers. Alternatively or additionally, the membrane may be electrically conductive. Power from an external source may be supplied to one or more of the conductive members, or also the membrane if conductive, which may be done wirelessly. One or more membrane assemblies may be provided in a container. One or more membrane assemblies may be provided in a stacked configuration, or wrapped around a tube in a spiral configuration.

The present invention provides for a method for separating starch from processing solutions containing starch containing plants or roots such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, wheat, corn, tapioca, yams, cassaya, sago, rice, pea, broad bean, horse bean, sorghum, konjac, rye, buckwheat and barley to provide commercially acceptable starch while reducing disposal of solid or liquid waste matter into landfills or water treatment facilities.

A tunable nanofiber filter device can include a filter housing defining an interior space, the housing having defined therein and inlet and an outlet, each in fluid communication with the interior space, and a plurality of filter laminas disposed within the interior space, each filter lamina including an upper surface, a lower surface, and an aperture defined therethrough. The plurality of filter laminas can be arranged in a stack wherein the opposing surfaces of adjacent filter laminas define a portion of an interlaminar flow space extending between the opposing surfaces. The flow space can be in fluid communication with the apertures of corresponding adjacent filter laminas to form a continuous flow passage extending through the lamina stack from the inlet to the outlet. An array nanofibers can extend into the flow passage from a portion of each filter lamina such that a fluid flowed through the flow passage flows across a portion of said array.

Filter membranes in systems for drinking water, tertiary water treatment and combined sewage overflow, MBR and MBT are efficiently cleaned without use of air scour. In one system the membranes, preferably flat plate membranes, are cleaned by mechanically driven wipers that can clean the surfaces of two adjacent membranes simultaneously. Another system uses water jets to clean the membrane surfaces.

An example separation system includes a stack of membrane plate assemblies. An example membrane plate assembly may include membranes bonded to opposite sides of a spacer plate. The spacer plate may include a first opening in fluid communication with a region between the membranes, and a second opening in fluid communication with a region between membrane plate assemblies. Adjacent membrane plate assemblies in the stack may have alternating orientations such that bonding areas for adjacent membranes in the stack may be staggered. Accordingly, two isolated flows may be provided which may be orthogonal from one another.

A particle separation multi-membrane matrix device and method are provided. The particles isolated may comprise nano-scale particles, such extracellular membrane vesicles, having a size of about 50 to about 150 nm. The vesicles are released by many different cell types, and may be efficiently isolated at high yield and purity according to the present methods from various body fluids (e.g., blood, saliva, breast milk, serum, plasma, ascites fluid, etc.). Such isolated exosome preparations may include biomarkers, such as disease biomarkers (diagnostic markers) for various disease (early stage and late stage cancers, neurological disorders (Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease), diabetes, pancreatic diseases, renal failure, infectious diseases (HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis)). The present methods and devices may be used to detect and monitor animals (human, livestock, companion animal) for infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and other diseases. The methods and devices require minimal sample material (10 μl), are rapid, economical, yield highly enriched small molecule (eg, exosomes) preparations, and do not require electricity.