A filtration assembly is provided, comprising a reservoir for holding a sample to be filtered, the reservoir having open top and bottom ends, and inwardly facing arms arranged at the bottom end, the reservoir having an elastic side wall; a fluid port in fluid communication with the reservoir; a porous microorganism-capturing filter element disposed across a flow path between the reservoir and the port, the filter element being releasably retained by the inwardly facing arms; an absorbent pad arranged below the filtration element and the inwardly facing arms, disposed across the flow path between the reservoir and the port; a base detachably mounted to the reservoir, the base including the port, and a support surface for supporting the pad; wherein compressing the elastic side wall releases the filter element from the inwardly facing arms after the base is detached from the reservoir.

Filtration head (1) for a filter system, comprising base (2) including filter support (3) for removable filter element (4) and a fluid path from one side of filter element (4) on filter support (3), through filter element (4), and to drainage outlet (5) of base (2), and holder device (6) for removably attaching funnel (7) to base (2) to form a sample fluid reservoir on one side of filter element (4), wherein holder device (6) comprises ring-shaped element (8) configured to extend about bottom peripheral flange (7a) surrounding a lower end of funnel (7) and to selectively apply a biasing force on a radially outward protruding portion (7b) of bottom peripheral flange (7a) of funnel (7) to press funnel (7) against base (2). The filtration head allows the use of cardboard funnels without risk of liquid leakage between the funnel and the base.

A vacuum manifold for filtration microscopy includes a manifold top having multiple openings, and a capture membrane positioned above and spaced apart from the manifold top, where the capture membrane is configured to deflect into contact with a surface of the manifold top when a negative pressure is applied to the multiple openings. A method for filtration microscopy includes the steps of providing a vacuum manifold including a manifold top having a plurality of openings, and a capture membrane positioned above and spaced apart from the manifold top; applying sample drops to sample spots on the membrane, the sample spots positioned above the plurality of openings; applying a negative pressure to the openings such that the capture membrane contacts a surface of the manifold top; and optically imaging particulates on the capture membrane.

An ion-exchange apparatus includes a raw-water tank 1, a treatment section, an ion exchanger and a hydrophilic layer. The raw-water section contains a liquid to be treated with impurity ions. The treatment tank 2 contains a treatment material with exchange ions exchangeable with the impurity ions. The ion exchanger 3 enables the passage of the impurity ions from the raw-water tank 1 to the treatment tank 2 and the passage of the exchange ions from the treatment tank 2 to the raw-water tank 1. The hydrophilic layer M, with a water contact angle of 30° or less, is disposed on at least a surface of the ion exchanger adjacent to the treatment tank 2.

An inexpensive ion-exchange apparatus with an increased ion-exchange capacity has a raw-water tank (1), a treatment tank (2) and an ion exchanger (3). The raw-water tank (1) contains a to be treated liquid. The liquid contains impurity ions. The treatment tank (2) contains a treatment material that contains exchange ions exchangeable with the impurity ions. The ion exchanger (3) enables passage of the impurity ions from the raw-water tank (1) to the treatment tank (2) and the passage of the exchange ions from the treatment tank (2) to the raw-water tank (1). The treatment material in the treatment tank (2) has a higher molarity than the to be treated liquid in the raw-water tank 1.

Herein, systems and methods are disclosed including a sample acquisition component (SAC) for user-friendly sample collection, a separation component for optional separation of plasma, and one or more stabilization components for stabilizing analytes. In a particular embodiment, the system and methods are directed towards sample collection and stabilization with optional sample separation. Other embodiments can perform any combination of collection, separation, stabilization or detection.

The present technology provides micro fabricated filtration devices, methods of making such devices, and uses for microfabricated filtration devices. The devices may allow diffusion to occur between two fluids with improved transport resistance characteristics as compared to conventional filtration devices. The devices may include a compound structure that includes a porous membrane overlying a support structure. The support structure may define a cavity and a plurality of recesses formed in a way that can allow modified convective flow of a first fluid to provide improved diffusive transport between the first fluid and a second fluid through the membrane.

Devices, systems, and methods herein relate to performing dialysis to manage a chronic condition such as end-stage renal disease. These systems and methods may allow a patient to orally ingest a potable dialysate and excrete the dialysate via the urinary tract. In some variations, a method may include delivering a dialysate via the esophagus of a patient and draining the dialysate into a bladder of the patient. Delivering the dialysate may further comprise delivering the dialysate through the nasopharynx or oropharynx. Delivering the dialysate through the oropharynx may comprise the patient drinking the dialysate.

A concentration membrane for use in concentrating biological particles, including: a hydrophilic composite porous membrane including: a porous substrate; and a hydrophilic resin with which at least one main surface and inner surfaces of pores of the porous substrate are coated, the hydrophilic composite porous membrane having a ratio t/x of a membrane thickness t (m) to an average pore diameter x (m), as measured with a perm porometer, of from 50 to 630. A concentration device 10 for biological particles 50 including: a housing 20 having an inlet 21 and an outlet 22, in which, due to a differential pressure between the inlet 21 and the outlet 22, a liquid to be treated 40 containing biological particles 50 and water is injected from the inlet 21 and discharged from the outlet 22; a concentration membrane 30 provided to separate the inlet 21 and the outlet 22 from each other in the housing 20, the concentration membrane 30 being a hydrophilic porous membrane onto which the biological particles 50 are not adsorbed, the concentration membrane 30 allowing an effluent 42, which is a liquid having a concentration that is a concentration of the biological particles 50 subtracted from a concentration of the liquid to be treated 40, to permeate from a surface on a side of the inlet 21 to a surface on a side of the outlet 22; and a concentration space portion 24 which is a space on an upstream side of the concentration membrane 30 in the housing 20 and stores a concentrated liquid 41 which is a liquid having a concentration that is a concentration of the biological particles 50 added to a concentration of the liquid to be treated 40 by the concentration membrane 30.

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for blood and other biological fluid purification using a membrane with cell containing vascular channel systems and filtration channel systems. Also disclosed are methods of making the apparatus as well as methods of making membranes.