A system includes a first fluid inlet and a single reverse osmosis membrane module having a permeate outlet and a first inlet/outlet channel and a second fluid inlet/outlet channel in fluid communication with the first fluid inlet. An energy transfer system has a second fluid inlet, a brine outlet, a first energy exchanging module and a second energy exchanging module. The first and second energy exchanging modules are adapted to reversibly operate in opposite flow phases where a flow direction for the expulsion flow phase in each energy exchanging module is constant and where a flow direction for the energy recover flow phase in each energy exchanging module is constant. The single reverse osmosis membrane module is adapted to reversibly receive a feed flow through one of the first and second fluid inlet/outlet channels and produce a brine outflow through the other of the first and second inlet/outlet channels.

The present disclosure relates to tangential flow filters, membranes, and ultrafiltration membranes, for various applications, including bioprocessing and pharmaceutical applications, systems employing such filters, and methods of filtration using the same. In an aspect, an alternating tangential flow system for continuous processing may include a feed line containing a fluid. A retentate line may be in fluid communication with the feed line. A first diaphragm may be at an inlet of the retentate line configured to pump fluid toward an outlet of the retentate line. A second diaphragm may be at the outlet of the retentate line configured to pump fluid toward the inlet of the retentate line. A membrane may be in fluid communication with the retentate line between the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm. A retentate pump may be at the retentate outlet configured to pump the fluid out of the retentate line.

A continuous slurry-bed tank reactor, comprising a tank reactor body, an agitator, and tubular separation membranes. A method of using the continuous slurry-bed tank reactor comprising adding a catalyst, feeding reactants, stopping feeding the reactants, starting a heating system, changing directions of the reactants flowing through the tubular separation membranes.

Provided is a filtration device including: a flow path that meanders; a filtration membrane that separates a supply side and a permeation side of the flow path; a first distribution port that is provided at one end of the supply side of the flow path; a second distribution port that is provided at the other end of the supply side of the flow path; a first discharge port that is provided on the permeation side of the flow path; and a second discharge port that is provided at a position different from that of the first discharge port on the permeation side of the flow path. First liquid feeding for allowing a liquid flowed in from the first distribution port to flow out from the second distribution port, and second liquid feeding for allowing a liquid flowed in from the second distribution port to flow out from the first distribution port are alternately performed. A liquid that has passed through the filtration membrane is discharged from the first discharge port while the first liquid feeding is performed, and a liquid that has passed through the filtration membrane is discharged from the second discharge port while the second liquid feeding is performed.

A renal therapy apparatus includes a blood filter, a blood pump, a treatment fluid pump, and a control unit configured to control at least one of the blood pump or the treatment fluid pump during a filter cleaning sequence. The blood filter includes a plurality of hollow fiber membranes. During the filter cleaning sequence, a fluid mixture is formed by mixing air with a blood-compatible and physiologically safe fluid. Also during the filter cleaning sequence, the fluid mixture is transferred across insides and/or outsides of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes at least one time. The use of the fluid mixture enables the filter cleaning sequence to be performed during the blood treatment.

Apparatus and method for semi-permeable membrane cleaning in particular, applying series of pulsed water stroke, made simultaneously with osmosis backward flow causing superposed membrane directional shaking and fouling detachment. Pulsed water stroke provided by water stroke generator as several momentum sharp changes in gauge pressure and induce velocity pulse of residual brine flow. The pulsed water strokes ideally induce resonance in the membrane. Osmosis backward wash may be provided either by injection for predetermined injection time, additional solution selected in such way that net driving pressure be-comes opposite to normal osmotic operation thereby providing a backward flow of permeate towards to the side opposite to normal operation mode, so as to lift said foulant, or by throttling permeate exiting from the permeate enclosure, until the net driving pressure value become equal to zero, during application of precise synchronized and opposing brine and permeate pressure strokes thereby providing a plurality of quick RO-FO-RO process changes. These procedures allow a membrane to be kept continuously clean and operate at higher recovery.

A renal therapy apparatus includes a blood filter, a blood pump, a treatment fluid pump, and a control unit configured to control at least one of the blood pump or the treatment fluid pump during a filter cleaning sequence. In a first phase of the filter cleaning sequence, a first fluid including a blood-compatible and physiologically safe fluid is transferred back and forth across the insides and/or outsides of the blood filter. After the first phase, a second fluid is formed by mixing the first fluid with air. In a second phase of the filter cleaning sequence, the second fluid is transferred across the insides and/or outsides of the blood filter at least one time.

A single-use fluid storage and filtration system includes a process vessel, a filter module including a hollow fiber filter element, and a drive module coupled to the filter module. The filter module is fixed to the process vessel and is in fluid communication with the process vessel for filtering a fluid received from the process vessel. The drive module includes a pump to induce flow of the fluid between the filter module and the process vessel. The process vessel, filter module and drive module comprise a single integrated and sterilized assembly.

Systems and methods for rapid flushing of a membrane-based fluid filtration system are disclosed herein. During flushing, a membrane of the system can be decoupled from other portions of the system and brine can be flushed from the membrane separate from the other portions of the system. In some embodiments, the membrane can be connected to a pump to form a flushing loop that is separate from the flushing loops of the main system to flow the flushing fluid therethrough. The flushing fluid through the membrane can be optimized and set based on a flow rate of the membrane to prevent damaging the membrane while minimizing flush time of the membrane relative to the flush time of the system.

A novel filter media includes an array of raised features formed directly on the membrane surface, which create a feed channel. The predetermined configuration of features is dually optimized both for filtration in a first flow direction to maximize unobstructed fluid flow and prevent fouling. The same feature configuration is also optimized for enhancing/increasing turbulence and scouring of the membrane when the flow through the filter is reversed during a cleaning operation. The feature configuration can also be optimized to capture bubbles in reverse flow such that the captured bubbles can be oscillated to further scour the membrane and the features themselves (e.g., in their cavities, etc.).