A membrane contactor includes: a cap has an internally beveled surface and a cap port; a cup body has an externally beveled surface in sealing engagement with the internally beveled surface, a side port on a side of the cup body and an end port located on an end of the cup body; and a membrane cartridge is located within the cup body, is sealed to an open end of the cup body, and is in sealed fluid communication with the end port. A method of making a membrane contactor includes the steps of: sealingly mating a perforated center of a membrane contactor with the end port of a cup body; sealingly joining an end of the membrane cartridge adjacent an open end of the cup body; and sealingly joining a beveled surface of the cap to a beveled external surface of the cup body.

A hollow fiber membrane blood purifying device including a cylindrical container, a hollow fiber membrane bundle, a potting resin fixing portion embedding and fixing the hollow fiber membrane bundle at each end of the cylindrical container, headers having nozzles, and ports further has the structure in which each header and the cylindrical container are welded in at least two regions over the circumference. The inside face of the header is in contact with a potting resin fixing portion cut face that is formed by cutting an outer side portion of the potting resin fixing portion in the length direction of the cylindrical container than the end face of each end of the cylindrical container, and the potting resin fixing portion cut face is in a compressively deformed state.

A membrane-based separation device comprises multiple interconnected flat sheets of membrane bonded to a flexible film. The bonded films are bonded in a way to create an accordion or zig-zag shape. In certain embodiments, the first or upstream layer is affixed to a suitable housing, and the last or most downstream layer is also affixed to the suitable housing. The housing may contain an inlet port for the introduction of sample, and an outlet port for the removal of filtered sample. Flow through the segments is in parallel. Since the membranes are not folded or pleated, higher performance membranes (e.g., polysulfone based membranes with some degree of asymmetry) than those usable in pleated or folded systems can be used.

A desalination apparatus and a method of desalinating thereof, wherein the desalination apparatus comprises a perforated vessel and at least one engineered semi-permeable membrane that covers perforations on the perforated vessel, wherein the desalination apparatus forms a purified water from saline water when submerged in the saline water to a depth of 50-250 m to create sufficient pressure differential on both sides of the engineered semi-permeable membrane, wherein low-saline water flows through the engineered semi-permeable membrane and collected within an internal cavity of the desalination apparatus. Various embodiments of the desalination apparatus and the method of desalinating are also provided.

A membrane separation device is disclosed along with systems and methods employing the device in blood processing procedures. In one embodiment, a spinning membrane separator is provided in which at least two zones or regions are created in the gap between the membrane and the shell, such that mixing of the fluid between the two regions is inhibited by a radial rib associated with the membrane that decreases the gap between the membrane and the shell to define two fluid regions, the ridge isolating the fluid in the two regions to minimize mixing between the two. Automated systems and methods are disclosed for separating a unit of previously collected whole blood into components, such as concentrated red cells and plasma, for collecting red cells and plasma directly from a donor in a single pass, and for cell washing. Data management systems and methods and priming methods are also disclosed.

Highly efficient and rapid filtration-based methods for isolation and concentration of exosomes and extracellular vesicles from biological fluids, including urine, which utilize pretreatment, prefiltration, wash steps and isolation and concentration using the concentrating pipette are disclosed.

The invention relates to a hollow fiber membrane filter comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes and at least two support rings, wherein the hollow fiber membranes are each enclosed by a respective support ring in a respective end portion of the hollow fiber membrane filter and are cast in a potting mass, wherein the respective support rings have a circumferential projection arranged at the upper edge which projects beyond the outer side of the circumferential side wall of a respective support ring, and wherein the circumferential projection rests on the respective terminal edges of the first and second end portions of the cylindrical housing of the hollow fiber membrane filter.

A portable water purifying apparatus, including a shell and a hollow, elongated chamber. The apparatus includes a first opening that feeds into this chamber, through which the user draws contaminated water into the chamber, and a second opening for removing purified water from the chamber. Purification of the contaminated water drawn into the apparatus is effected by water purification media, which may include an ultrafiltration membrane; a halogenated resin; and granulated, activated carbon. The apparatus may also include one or more cleanable, removable, replaceable cartridges for containing the water purification media.

A membrane separation device is disclosed along with systems and methods employing the device in blood processing procedures. In one embodiment, a spinning membrane separator is provided in which at least two zones or regions are created in the gap between the membrane and the shell, such that mixing of the fluid between the two regions is inhibited by a radial rib associated with the membrane that decreases the gap between the membrane and the shell to define two fluid regions, the ridge isolating the fluid in the two regions to minimize mixing between the two. Automated systems and methods are disclosed for separating a unit of previously collected whole blood into components, such as concentrated red cells and plasma, for collecting red cells and plasma directly from a donor in a single pass, and for cell washing. Data management systems and methods and priming methods are also disclosed.

A portable water purifying apparatus, including a shell and a hollow, elongated chamber. The apparatus includes a first opening that feeds into this chamber, through which the user draws contaminated water into the chamber, and a second opening for removing purified water from the chamber. Purification of the contaminated water drawn into the apparatus is effected by water purification media, which may include an ultrafiltration membrane; a halogenated resin; and granulated, activated carbon. The apparatus may also include one or more cleanable, removable, replaceable cartridges for containing the water purification media.