A disposable filtration device includes a plurality of disposable filter capsules connected with each other by lines, which are carried by a rigid holder. At least the holder and the lines between the filter capsules preferably are formed of a sterilizable material, so that the filtration device can be sterilized in the pre-mounted, i.e. ready-to-connect condition, and can be packed and transported without a risk of damage.

The present invention provides a hollow-fiber membrane blood purification device obtained by filling a container with a hollow-fiber membrane, in which the hollow-fiber membrane contains a hydrophobic polymer, a hydrophilic polymer and a lipid-soluble substance; the amount of the lipid-soluble substance on the inner surface of the hollow-fiber membrane is 10 mg/m.sup.2 or more and 300 mg/m.sup.2 or less; and the oxygen transmission rate of the container is 1.8?10.sup.?10 cm.sup.3.Math.cm/(cm.sup.2.Math.s.Math.cmHg) or less.

A cartridge type hollow fiber membrane module including a housing, a hollow-fiber membrane bundle having a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, a first potting part that bonds the hollow fiber membranes at at least one end of the bundle of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes such that the hollow fiber membranes are open, and a sealing material that fixes the first potting part to the housing liquid-tightly, wherein the first potting part comprises an inner potting part and an outer potting part, wherein the inner potting part and the outer potting part are both formed of a potting material, wherein the sealing material is in contact with the outer potting part, and wherein both the inner potting part and the outer potting part are formed in a sealing direction of the sealing material. The cartridge type hollow fiber membrane module is free of leakage and contamination due to separation of a potting material even when steam sterilization is performed.

Methods of combined sterilization and integrity testing of dialyzers such as hollow fiber dialyzers are disclosed. Sterilization and integrity testing may be performed by treating the dialyzer with a sterilization fluid for sterilizing at least the blood-side compartment of the dialyzer and for wetting the dialysis membrane of the dialyzer with the sterilization fluid, and carrying out an integrity testing of the dialysis membrane wetted with the sterilization fluid, wherein the sterilization fluid is selected from aqueous solutions containing peroxide and/or ozone, the peroxide being selected from peroxides which disintegrate into water, oxygen and/or volatile organic compounds, and from aqueous solutions containing chlorine, bromine and/or iodine.

A method for operating a filtration apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is a method for operating a filtration apparatus including three or more filtration modules, the method including a filtration step in which a filtration treatment is performed using the filtration modules and a cleaning step in which some of the filtration modules are stopped from performing the filtration treatment and the filtration modules stopped from performing the filtration treatment are cleaned simultaneously. A filtration apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is a filtration apparatus including three or more filtration modules, a collection system that collects a filtrate from the filtration modules, and a cleaning system that cleans some of the filtration modules simultaneously.

An aeration tube according to the present invention, which is configured to supply a cleaning gas for a filtration unit, includes a straight tubular aeration portion, into one end of which the cleaning gas is force-fed and which has a plurality of aeration holes, and a tubular solid content discharge portion which extends from another end of the aeration portion. In a vertical cross section including a central axis of the aeration portion, a central axis of a discharge side of the solid content discharge portion is inclined downward with respect to the central axis of the aeration portion, and an angle of inclination of the central axis of the discharge side with respect to the central axis of the aeration portion is 20 to 80. Preferably, the aeration holes are arranged on an upper side of the aeration portion, and centers of the aeration holes coincide with the vertical cross section including the central axis of the aeration portion. Preferably, the aeration portion does not have an opening other than the aeration holes in a circumferential surface thereof. Preferably, a central axis of a connection side of the solid content discharge portion connected to the aeration portion is curved.

A method is provided for sanitizing a reverse osmosis system to supply high-purity permeate. Included in the method is supplying raw water to a feed tank and to a filter module using a raw-water inlet line having an inlet valve. A primary circuit is provided, and has a first pump connected to the filter module. A secondary circuit is provided, and has a second pump and a heater, both of which are connected to the filter module. The primary circuit is separated from the secondary circuit using a semipermeable membrane disposed in the filter module. The secondary circuit of the reverse osmosis system is cleaned or disinfected while the raw-water inlet line is in a disconnected state and the inlet valve is in a closed state using the second pump and the heater.

The invention provides a method for sterilizing a blood purifier, as well as a blood purifier package. The method is effective to decrease the amounts of extracts from the blood purifier attributed to the deterioration of the selectively permeable separation membranes with time during and after exposure to a radioactive ray or an electron ray, and is highly reliable in safety when employed for hemocatharsis therapy. The method for sterilizing a blood purifier which comprises substantially dried selectively permeable separation membranes as a main component, by way of the exposure of the same blood purifier to a radioactive ray and/or an electron ray, is characterized in that the blood purifier is sealed in a packaging bag, together with an oxygen scavenger and a humectant or together with an oxygen scavenger capable of releasing a moisture, and is then sterilized in such a sealed state by the above exposure.

Methods for cleaning water filtration membranes by treatment with a DNase containing cleaning composition. Optionally the composition also comprises a biocidal and/or other enzymes such as proteases. The DNAse may be derived from Aspergillus oryzae or from Bacillus licheniformis.

The present disclosure relates to a filter capsule that supports direct integrity testing of an internal filter element. The filter capsule includes a filter housing having an inlet port, an outlet port, a passage running longitudinally between the inlet port and outlet port and holding a filter element, and an aseptic vent assembly. The filter housing also includes an integrity test assembly that can be used as a direct connection for integrity testing hardware, as opposed to upstream of the filter capsule. In one embodiment, the integrity test assembly comprises a body having a bore formed through its interior and a movable plunger within the bore. The plunger includes a handle to move the plunger between a closed position and an open position. Various seals between the plunger and the bore form a fluid tight seal between various portions of the plunger and the bore.