A device for obtaining protein-enriched fractions from human or animal milk comprises a delipidating unit for reducing a lipid content in the human or animal milk to obtain delipidated milk and a filtering unit for increasing a protein concentration of the delipidated milk to obtain the protein-enriched fraction, comprising a replaceable filter having a nominal molecular weight limit of 2 kDa or more, in particular of 5 kDa or more.

Methods for controlling electrolyte chemistry in electrodialysis units having an anode and a cathode each in an electrolyte of a selected concentration and a membrane stack disposed therebetween. The membrane stack includes pairs of cationic selective and anionic membranes to segregate increasingly dilute salts streams from concentrated salts stream. Electrolyte chemistry control is via use of at least one of following techniques: a single calcium exclusionary cationic selective membrane at a cathode cell boundary, an exclusionary membrane configured as a hydraulically isolated scavenger cell, a multivalent scavenger co-electrolyte and combinations thereof.

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.

Provided are a system and a method of treating wastewater. The system includes a wastewater chamber, positive and negative electrode chambers, acid and basic solution chambers and a buffer chamber. The wastewater chamber receives wastewater containing a first ion. The positive and the negative electrode chambers are respectively on opposite sides of the wastewater chamber. The acid chamber is between the wastewater chamber and the positive electrode chamber. The basic chamber is between the wastewater chamber and the negative electrode chamber. The buffer chamber is between one of the acid and the basic chambers and the wastewater chamber, and receives the buffer solution containing the first ion. The interfaces between the wastewater chamber and the buffer chamber and between the one of the acid and the basic chambers and the buffer chamber are ion exchange membranes having the same electrical properties.

An apparatus and method for abating scale formation during the purification and demineralization of water in an electrochemical deionization apparatus. In the apparatus and method, scale forming ions in a raw water feed are precipitated at a controlled location remote from the deionization chambers of the deionization apparatus. Concentrate water produced during the deionization process to produce demineralized product water is acidified and circulated through the deionization apparatus to prevent scale formation and build-up in the deionization apparatus.

Provided are a system and a method of treating wastewater. The system includes a wastewater chamber, positive and negative electrode chambers, acid and basic solution chambers and a buffer chamber. The wastewater chamber receives wastewater containing a first ion. The positive and the negative electrode chambers are respectively on opposite sides of the wastewater chamber. The acid chamber is between the wastewater chamber and the positive electrode chamber. The basic chamber is between the wastewater chamber and the negative electrode chamber. The buffer chamber is between one of the acid and the basic chambers and the wastewater chamber, and receives the buffer solution containing the first ion. The interfaces between the wastewater chamber and the buffer chamber and between the one of the acid and the basic chambers and the buffer chamber are ion exchange membranes having the same electrical properties.

An ultrapure water supply apparatus includes a first filtering device, a second filtering device, a first tank between the first and second filtering devices, a third filtering device, a second tank between the second and third filtering devices, a fourth filtering device, a third tank between the third and fourth filtering devices, and a gas supply device connected to each of the first to third tanks and configured to supply an inert gas. Each of the first to third tanks includes a tank body and a breather valve coupled to the tank body and connected to a storage space in the tank body. Each of the first to fourth filtering devices includes at least one selected from an activated carbon filter device, an ion exchange resin device, a reverse osmosis membrane device, and a hollow fiber membrane device.

An apparatus for reducing the alcohol content of an alcoholic beverage. According to one embodiment, the apparatus includes a primary circuit through which the alcoholic beverage circulates, a secondary circuit through which an alcohol extracting liquid circulates, and at least one filter with a gas-permeable hydrophobic membrane, the filter being configured so that one of the sides of the membrane is in contact with the alcoholic beverage circulating through the primary circuit and so that the other side of the membrane is in contact with the alcohol extracting liquid circulating through the secondary circuit. The apparatus also includes an extraction and filling circuit configured to guide the alcoholic beverage from a container to the primary circuit and for guiding the alcoholic beverage, once its alcohol content has been reduced, from the primary circuit to the container.

A blood processing apparatus may include a heat exchanger and a gas exchanger. At least one of the heat exchanger and the gas exchanger may be configured to impart a radial component to blow flow through the heat exchanger and/or gas exchanger. The heat exchanger may be configured to cause blood flow to follow a spiral flow path.

An acidic treatment liquid processing apparatus includes: a tank having an interior space; a diaphragm permeable to a metal cation and separating the interior space of the tank into a first chamber and a second chamber; a first electrode disposed in the first chamber; a second electrode disposed in the second chamber; a power supply configured to apply a voltage while using the first electrode as an anode and the second electrode as a cathode; a first liquid passing part configured to pass an acidic treatment liquid containing a dichromate ion and a metal cation into the first chamber; and a second liquid passing part configured to pass an acid aqueous solution into the second chamber.