A two-stage gas-separation membrane system includes two identical membrane modules held within a single casing. A feed gas is directed into the first module, so as to produce permeate and retentate streams. One of the latter streams then becomes the feed gas for the second module, and reaches the second module through a core tube located within the module. The product of the second module is the product gas for the system. The gas streams entering the two modules flow in mutually opposite directions. This arrangement makes it feasible to provide a two-stage system while using only the number of ports that would be needed for a single stage.

A plurality of membrane elements are arranged in series within a pressure vessel in which at least two of the elements exhibit different permeances or selectivities for a gas or gas pair respectively.

Provided is a hollow fiber membrane module comprising: a hollow fiber membrane bundle; a housing; a first adhesively-fixed portion and a second adhesively-fixed portion configured to adhesively fix, at both ends of each of the hollow fiber membranes, with a potting material: the hollow fiber membranes to each other, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle to an inner wall of the housing; and a regulating member 40 configured to regulate arrangement of the hollow fiber membranes, wherein: on an end face outer than the housing of at least one of the first adhesively-fixed portion or the second adhesively-fixed portion, when a range of a circle having a center at a center of the end face and a radius equal to of a radius of the end face is defined as a central portion, and a range other than the central portion is defined as a circumferential portion, a ratio of an area ratio of the regulating member 40 and the potting material to an entire area of the central portion to an area ratio of the regulating member 40 and the potting material to an entire area of the circumferential portion is 0.8 or more and 1.2 or less.

An external circulation-type hollow fiber membrane module which has a high processing capacity and which is capable of inhibiting a to-be-treated liquid within a case from flowing through a short path and efficiently bringing the liquid into contact with a hollow fiber membrane in whichever direction of a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, etc., the liquid flows. An external circulation-type hollow fiber membrane module is provided with: a hollow fiber membrane bundle; a case; and a short-path prevention body that blocks flowing of a to-be-treated liquid in a gap between the hollow fiber membrane bundle and the case, wherein a first end of the hollow fiber membrane bundle is fixed in the case, and the short-path prevention body is provided to the downstream side of a first port which is a liquid flow-in port in the case so as to project from the inner surface of the case.

A device for treating a biological liquid has a housing with a first chamber defining a cavity and which is adapted to receive a liquid to be treated. At least one gas exchanger is at least partly disposed in the first chamber. An inlet portion is formed in a first surface of the housing for the inlet of the liquid to be treated into the chamber. The inlet portion is formed at an acute angle relative to the surface of the housing. Such a device allows a gas exchange in a lung assist method for example.

A filtration apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of filtration modules each including a plurality of hollow fiber membranes aligned so as to extend in an up-and-down direction, a bar-like upper holding member configured to secure upper ends of the hollow fiber membranes, and a bar-like lower holding member configured to secure lower ends of the hollow fiber membranes; a cleaning module configured to supply bubbles from below the filtration modules; a frame including a plurality of vertical frame members disposed to extend in the up-and-down direction and a plurality of lateral frame members disposed to extend in lateral directions, the frame being configured to hold the filtration modules and the cleaning module; and a plurality of lower guide rails configured to engage with the lower holding members and disposed between opposite faces of the lateral frame members, wherein at least part of the cleaning module is suspended from the frame.

A method for repairing a membrane filtration module in fluid communication with a plurality of additional membrane filtration modules includes fluidly connecting a fluid transfer assembly to the membrane filtration module, fluidly isolating the membrane filtration module from the plurality of additional membrane filtration modules, forcing liquid within the membrane filtration module into the fluid transfer assembly by introducing a pressurized gas into the membrane filtration module, releasing the pressurized gas from the membrane filtration module, fluidly disconnecting the fluid transfer assembly from the membrane filtration module, repairing one or more damaged membranes in the membrane filtration module, and fluidly reconnecting the membrane filtration module to the plurality of additional membrane filtration modules.

A composite ion conducting tube is made by wrapping a support material or ion conducting sheet to from a tube having overlaps of layers that are bonded. The ion conducting sheet or tape used to make the tube may be very thin and the tube may be formed in situ by wrapping the support material and then coating with ion conducting polymer. The ion conducting tubes may be used in a pervaporation module or desalination system. The ion conducting tubes may be spirally wrapped or longitudinally wrapped and may be very thin having a tube wall thickness of no more than 25 microns.

The present disclosure describes a device and method to clear solutes from a patient's blood while maintaining fluid balance. In some implementations, the device and method is used to assist the filtration functions of a patient's liver or kidney. The device includes a plurality of hollow fibers that pass through a sequence of alternating filtration chambers and infusion chambers. The filtration chambers filter the patient's blood while the infusion chambers rehydrate the filtered blood.

A gas separation membrane module includes at least one hollow fiber membrane element and a casing. The hollow fiber membrane element includes hollow fiber membranes and a cylindrical body. The cylindrical body extends in a longitudinal direction of the hollow fiber membranes, and accommodates the hollow fiber membranes. The hollow fiber membrane element includes sweep gas introduction ports and mixed gas discharge ports. A first supply chamber, a first discharge chamber, a second supply chamber, and a second discharge chamber are positioned between the casing and the hollow fiber membrane element. The first supply chamber, the first discharge chamber, the second supply chamber, and the second discharge chamber are partitioned off from each other.