Disclosed are apparatus and methods for blood and other biological fluid purification using a membrane with cell containing vascular channel systems and filtration channel systems. Also disclosed are methods of making the apparatus as well as methods of making membranes.

A housing of a separation apparatus includes therein a zeolite membrane complex. A sheath includes therein the housing. A fluid supplied to the inside of the housing has a temperature higher than the temperature around the sheath. A second exhaust port is used to exhaust a permeated substance that has permeated through the zeolite membrane complex in the fluid to the outside of the housing. The permeated substance exhausted from the housing can be led into an exterior space between the sheath and the housing through the second exhaust port and can be exhausted through an exterior exhaust port. At least part of the zeolite membrane complex is included in an inter-port space surrounded by the sheath, the second exhaust port, and the exterior exhaust port. This structure reduces energy required for fluid separation performed under high temperatures.

The invention relates to an apparatus for separating hydrogen from a gas mixture, comprising a vessel which defines an inlet collection space for the gas mixture and an offtake collection space for hydrogen, where the inlet collection space is separated from the offtake collection space by means of a hydrogen-permeable membrane. The invention is also directed to a process for producing an apparatus for separating hydrogen from a gas mixture, which comprises a hydrogen-permeable membrane, a gas mixture inlet, a hydrogen offtake and a residual gas outlet.

The present invention relates to modification to permeate channels and permeate materials in a cross-flow filtration system to improve performance in counter current filtration having both retentate channels and permeate channels wherein a solution is pumped through one of the channels and drawn through a membrane to one of the other channels to assist in positive pressure driven filtration by using the osmotic pressure, concentration, or preferential solubility difference between the retentate and permeate flow streams thereby increasing or altering the flux through the membrane separating the flow streams.

The present invention relates to a support for a filtration membrane configuration formed with a first set of projections and a second set of projections in opposite directions. At least some of the first projections may be shaped with top areas forming contact face towards a filtration membrane configuration. The support for a filtration membrane may be formed with a first set of projections and a second set of projections in opposite directions, where at least some of the first projections are connected to a porous sheet forming support for said filtration membrane. The filtration membrane may be positioned directly on the porous sheet, or other in a sandwiched construction including other elements.

A hollow fiber membrane module includes a pressure vessel, a plurality of hollow fiber membrane elements arranged in series inside the pressure vessel, and a connector that connects the hollow fiber membrane elements to each other. Each of the hollow fiber membrane elements includes a plurality of hollow fiber membranes, and a double-core tube extending in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of hollow fiber membrane elements. The connector includes a first channel and a second channel that do not communicate with each other. Between the hollow fiber membrane elements, the outer channels of the hollow fiber membrane elements are connected to each other through the first channel, the inner channels of the hollow fiber membrane elements are connected to each other through the second channel, and hollow portions of the hollow fiber membranes communicate with the inner channels through the second channel.

Composite polyether block amide (PEBA) copolymer tubes incorporate an ultra-thin PEBA layer that enables rapid moisture transfer and exchange through the tube. A composite PEBA film may include a porous scaffold support and may be formed or incorporated into the composite PEBA tube. A porous scaffold support may be coated or imbibed with PEBA to form a composite PEBA film. A composite PEBA film may be wrapped on a mandrel or over a porous scaffold support to form a composite PEBA tube. A film layer may be applied over a wrapped composite PEBA film to secure the layers together. The film layer by applied by dipping, spraying or painting.

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.

Membrane oxygenators useful in a variety of medical situations, including various short-term procedures and relatively longer-term life support, and components of membrane-based oxygenators, such as conditioning modules for exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide during extracorporeal conditioning of blood, are described. A conditioning module includes a plurality of mats of hollow fibers and a potting material disposed throughout the peripheral edges of the mats to create a circumferential seal that defines a passageway through the plurality of fiber mats having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape. The circumferential seal defines an effective fiber length for each of the hollow fibers. A resisting member is disposed across the proximal ends of at least some of the hollow fibers and is adapted to resist fluid flow into each of the hollow fibers based on the effective fiber length of the particular hollow fiber.

The present invention includes: a first sealing portion which has a first entry/exit selectively opened or closed by a first opening/closing valve and a second entry/exit selectively opened or closed by a second opening/closing valve and is configured to seal one end of a housing; a second sealing portion which has a third entry/exit selectively opened or closed by a third opening/closing valve and a fourth entry/exit selectively opened or closed by a fourth opening/closing valve, and is configured to seal the other end of the housing; and a controller which is configured to control the supply of raw water through any one of the first entry/exit and the second entry/exit or control the supply of raw water through any one of the third entry/exit and the fourth entry/exit.