A method of evaluating a separation membrane module includes a step of supplying a performance degradation gas having a property of reducing permeance of a separation membrane to a primary side of the separation membrane, and a step of, after the previous step, supplying an evaluation fluid to the primary side of the separation membrane to measure a flow rate of the evaluation fluid to a secondary side of the separation membrane.

The present invention relates to a method for checking a dialyzer for the presence of a leak in the semipermeable membrane of the dialyzer, wherein the membrane divides the inner dialyzer space into a least one blood chamber and into at least one dialyzate chamber, wherein the blood chamber is flowed through by blood in the operation of the dialyzer and is in fluid communication with a blood-side line system and the vascular system of the patient, and wherein the dialyzate chamber is flowed through by dialysis fluid in the operation of the dialyzer and is in fluid communication with a dialyzate-side line system, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) emptying the blood chamber or the dialyzate chamber of blood and of dialysis fluid respectively and keeping the fluid (blood or dialyzate) in the non-emptied dialyzate chamber or blood chamber; b) building up a test pressure by means of a gas, in particular by means of air, in the emptied blood chamber or in the emptied dialyzate chamber; and c) measuring the pressure drop over time in the emptied blood chamber or in the emptied dialyzate chamber or in the line system respectively in fluid communication therewith and/or measuring the pressure increase in the non-emptied blood chamber or in the non-emptied dialyzate chamber or in the line system respectively in fluid communication therewith or measuring the number of air bubbles or of a parameter correlated with the number of air bubbles in the non-emptied blood chamber or in the non-emptied dialyzate chamber or in a line system respectively in fluid communication therewith,
wherein the steps a) to c) are carried out subsequent to the blood treatment of the patient and subsequent to the disconnection of the patient from the blood-side line system.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a porous hollow-fiber membrane containing a regenerated cellulose and having an elastic limit pressure of 200 kPa or more.

A module includes flat ceramic segments, a potting material and a housing. The module exhibits relatively low pressure decay. A method for preparing such a module is provided.

A method of integrity testing a porous material is disclosed, providing a porous material suitable for filtration to be tested, said porous material having a first surface and a second surface; wetting said porous material with a wetting liquid; providing a gas stream comprising at least first and second gases humidified with said wetting liquid below the saturation vapor pressure of said wetting liquid and wherein said humidified gas stream has a humidity of 50-99%; introducing said gas stream to said first surface of said porous material; causing said first and second gases to flow through said porous material; measuring the concentration of at least one of said first and second gases in the permeate stream exiting said second surface of said porous material; and comparing the measured concentration to a predetermined concentration.

A method of integrity testing porous materials that is non-destructive to the material being tested. The method includes humidifying the inlet gas stream to minimize or prevent the porous material from drying out. The inlet gas stream includes at least two gases, wherein one of the gases has a different permeability in liquid than the other, such as oxygen and nitrogen. The permeate gas stream may be subjected to a driving force such as reduced pressure to increase the flow of gases and reduce test time. Multiple porous materials can be integrity tested at the same time, such as by manifolding a plurality of them together. The integrity test is capable of detecting the presence of oversized pores or defects that can compromise the retention capability of the porous material.

A diffusiophoretic water filter has a monitor for monitoring for leaks, blockages or efficiency. Methods are also provided.

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.

A method for inspecting a separation membrane module has a sealing step for sealing a gas for inspection on a primary side of zeolite membrane. The dynamic molecular diameter for the gas for inspection is greater than 1.07 times the pore diameter in the zeolite membrane. The gas for inspection has the characteristic of having a rate of reduction for a CO.sub.2 gas permeation rate in the zeolite membrane of less than 10% when a separation membrane structure is allowed to stand for 60 minutes in the gas for inspection at 25 degrees C. and 0.1 MPaG.

A method for providing an integrity test of a double filter capsule can include providing the double filter capsule in such a way that in a filtration process the medium to be filtered flows in its flow direction from an upstream chamber in the housing through a first filter into an intermediate chamber between the first filter and a second filter and then through the second filter to an outlet. The housing can have an upstream-chamber access point for feeding a test fluid into the upstream chamber and an intermediate-chamber access point for feeding the test fluid into the intermediate chamber. Additional steps can include providing a connecting line between the upstream-chamber access point and the intermediate-chamber access point and determining the state of integrity of the double filter capsule on the basis of at least two test phases.