Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to the use of effusive filtration to segregate tumor cells from a sample of bodily fluid. In one embodiment, fluid containing a cell is flowed down a channel having a filtration medium present along at least one side wall. The tumor cell is captured when the fluid passes through the filtration medium. Accumulated pressure on the captured tumor cell is reduced by allowing the fluid that has passed through the filtration medium to re-enter the channel. In a particular embodiment, the filtration medium may comprise side wall apertures having a width smaller than that of the cell, with downstream apertures allowing re-entry of the fluid into the channel.

A spiral wound filtration membrane element has a scroll face that includes at least two, concentric, axially displaced regions. At least one of those regions is sealed and at least one is unsealed. Such a membrane element can be produced by a winding process followed by a trimming or cutting step which produces the concentric, axially displaced regions. The seal can be applied before, during or after the trimming or cutting step.

A method of operating a high velocity cross flow dynamic membrane filtration includes feeding a fluid stream into a pressure vessel, in which the vessel defines a treatment chamber containing a disc membrane assembly having a first support shaft and a second support shaft, each support shaft defining a longitudinal axis about which is positioned a plurality of axially spaced membrane discs. The method further includes distributing the fluid stream over at least a portion of the disc membrane assembly. The method also includes discharging a first portion of the fluid stream from the vessel and discharging a second portion of the fluid stream from the vessel. The method additionally includes rotating the first support shaft and the second support shaft in a first direction. The rotating includes modulating a rotation rate in response to the flow rate of the second portion of the fluid stream.

A spiral-wound acid gas separation membrane element (1) includes a wound body which includes a laminate and a perforated core (5), the laminate being wound around the perforated core tube (5) and including: a separation membrane (2), a feed-side channel component (3), and an element constituent layer (e.g., permeate-side channel component (4)). The separation membrane (2) is provided with a sealing section (25) present at both widthwise ends of the separation membrane (2). The sealing section (25) is sealed with an adhesive. This makes it possible not only to separate acid gas from mixed gas more efficiently as compared to a conventional spiral-wound acid gas separation membrane element but also to save energy.

Described are filter cartridges, filter apparatuses, and related methods that involve a filter cartridge that includes a cartridge support that includes centering surfaces, a helical strand, or both.

A high velocity cross flow dynamic membrane filtration system includes a disc membrane assembly having a frame and at least two support shafts. Each support shaft defines a longitudinal axis about which is positioned a plurality of axially spaced membrane discs, with each shaft further coupled to the frame. A permeate tube is coupled to each support shaft and in fluid communication with the membrane discs associated with that support shaft. A vessel defines a treatment chamber and is configured to removably support the disc membrane assembly within the treatment chamber. The vessel further includes a wall. The filtration system also includes a drive system. The permeate tubes are configured to extend through a portion of the vessel wall when the disc membrane assembly is positioned within the treatment chamber. The permeate tubes are further configured for rotation by the drive system.

A permeable membrane tube to separate mixed fluids is provided, including a cyclone generator configured to cause fluid entering the permeable tube to flow in a spiral direction. The cyclonic generator may be a plug positioned at the fluid entrance of the membrane tube. The fluid passes through the permeable membrane tube, which has a center axis along a length of the tube, and flows in the spiral direction thereby separating the fluid into first and second portions, wherein the first portion comprises fluid having a greater density than the second portion and the first portion is directed to an inner surface of the tube.

A spiral-wound forward osmosis membrane element (2) includes: a membrane leaf (23) in which an internal flow path extending from a first opening (26A) to a second opening (26B) is formed; and a central tube (31) around which the membrane leaf (23) is wound and which has a feed hole (31A) communicating with the first opening (26A) and a collection hole (31B) communicating with the second opening (26B). The central tube (31) has an interior partitioned to include an inflow region (3A) communicating with the feed hole (31A) and an outflow region (3B) communicating with the collection hole (31B) so that the inflow region (3A) and the outflow region (3B) each form a flow path extending continuously in an axial direction of the central tube (31) from one end to the other end of the central tube (3). Since a liquid fed into the inflow region (3A) is discharged to the outside without passing through two or more internal flow paths (26), the pressure loss in the spiral-wound forward osmosis membrane element (2) is reduced. Thereby, it is possible to provide a spiral-wound forward osmosis membrane element in which the pressure loss of the flow of a fluid is reduced.

Hydrogen generation assemblies, hydrogen purification devices, and their components, and methods of manufacturing those assemblies, devices, and components are disclosed. In some embodiments, the devices may include an insulation base having insulating material and at least one passage that extends through the insulating material. In some embodiments, the at least one passage may be in fluid communication with a combustion region.

The invention relates to a device for the manufacture by extrusion of a porous tubular support from a ceramic composition, the device including: a fixed extrusion die (6) in which is mounted a punch holder (7) provided with a centered rectilinear punch (8a) and with at least one helically-shaped punch (8) wound around an axis of symmetry (X) along a winding direction and a winding pitch; a system (10) for driving in rotation the punch holder (7) around said axis of symmetry (X) along a direction of rotation opposite to the direction of winding of the punch(es) (8) and at a speed of rotation synchronized with the linear speed of extrusion of the ceramic composition.