A hollow fiber membrane module 10 has a hollow fiber membrane bundle 11 and a housing case 15. The housing case 15 has first molding members 17 and a second molding member 18. At each first molding member, a tubular portion 19 and a nozzle portion 20 are integrally molded. The second molding member 18 has a tubular shape coaxially continuous from the tubular portion 19. Values obtained by dividing, by the wall thickness of the second molding member, the wall thicknesses of the housing case 15 at positions separated in the axial direction from a connecting position toward the first molding member 17 side by distances of 3 times and 5 times the wall thickness of the second molding member 18 are 1.0 to 1.3 and 1.0 to 1.5, respectively.

A cell culture bioreactor has perfusion membranes and gas transfer membranes or a gas phase in an extra-membrane space in contact with a film on the perfusion membranes. Gas transfer membranes may travel through the perfusion membranes or through the extra-membrane space. Examples with hollow fiber and flat sheet membranes are shown. One or more of the membranes optionally has a responsive surface, for example a thermo-responsive surface. In some examples, membranes are located in X-Y planes while the length of the reactor extends in a Z-direction.

A method for producing a membrane filter for filtering a liquid, wherein the membrane filter includes at least one header and at least one membrane block that is connected with the at least one header, wherein the at least one membrane block includes multiple rows of hollow fiber membranes arranged substantially parallel to one another, wherein each of the hollow fiber membranes includes an open end that connects to a permeate chamber in the at least one header and a filtrate is pullable from the permeate chamber during operation of the membrane filter, wherein the at least one membrane block includes a spacer at a distance from the open end, wherein the spacer connects the hollow fiber membranes with one another and keeps them apart, and wherein the hollow fiber membranes are enveloped by a seal layer between the spacer and the open end.

A method for forming a ceramic membrane module system includes disposing at least one membrane (118) within a housing (120), the membrane (118) having capillaries therein. The method includes sealing the first housing end (122) and capillaries, applying force to the removable gasket with an external frame assembly (200), and disposing potting material into the housing (120) without plugging the capillaries with the potting.

A cartridge is provided for dialysis or other blood processing therapy. In the cartridge, fibers may be substantially uniformly distributed near a midplane, but near an end, in the inter fiber space, there may be void flow channels, which may cause fluid flow in the inter fiber space to transition within a short region to uniform flow with minimal stagnation zones. Void flow channels may be be radially oriented, introducing fluid from the outer circumference, or axially oriented, introducing fluid along the axial direction through passageways through the potting material. The fluid flow in the inter fiber space may be perpendicular to the fibers, or radial with respect to a cartridge longitudinal axis. The cartridge may have blood flow in the inter fiber space, and flow of dialysate or ultrafiltrate in the lumens of the fibers, or the opposite situation.

The present invention relates to a hollow-fiber membrane module including: a hollow-fiber membrane bundle including a plurality of hollow-fiber membranes bundled in a potting part; a housing enclosing the hollow-fiber membrane bundle; and a protective member contacting with an outer surface of the potting part and continuously covering the outer surface, in which the protective member has a notched part through which one end of the protective member communicates with another end in a longitudinal direction of the hollow-fiber membrane bundle.

The present invention is related to a new membrane cartridge system comprising hollow fiber membranes, a special new end cap for the production of the new cartridge, membrane separation devices comprising the new membrane cartridges and a process for manufacture of the new cartridges.

A cartridge is provided for dialysis or other blood processing therapy. In the cartridge, fibers may be substantially uniformly distributed near a midplane, but near an end, in the inter fiber space, there may be void flow channels, which may cause fluid flow in the inter fiber space to transition within a short region to uniform flow with minimal stagnation zones. Void flow channels may be be radially oriented, introducing fluid from the outer circumference, or axially oriented, introducing fluid along the axial direction through passageways through the potting material. The fluid flow in the inter fiber space may be perpendicular to the fibers, or radial with respect to a cartridge longitudinal axis. The cartridge may have blood flow in the inter fiber space, and flow of dialysate or ultrafiltrate in the lumens of the fibers, or the opposite situation.

A method for producing a membrane filter for filtering a liquid, wherein the membrane filter includes at least one header and at least one membrane block that is connected with the at least one header, wherein the at least one membrane block includes multiple rows of hollow fiber membranes arranged substantially parallel to one another, wherein each of the hollow fiber membranes includes an open end that connects to a permeate chamber in the at least one header and a filtrate is pullable from the permeate chamber during operation of the membrane filter, wherein the at least one membrane block includes a spacer at a distance from the open end, wherein the spacer connects the hollow fiber membranes with one another and keeps them apart, and wherein the hollow fiber membranes are enveloped by a seal layer between the spacer and the open end.

A degassing tube includes a first plate, a second plate and a degassing tube. The first plate has a recess portion and a flange surrounding the recess portion. The flange has a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. A tube connector is disposed protrusively from the second side and located on the flange. The second plate covers the first plate. The degassing tube is disposed in the tube connector. The tube connector is formed with a degassing opening indented from the first side. The degassing opening has a maximum width defined in the tube connector and a minimum width defined on the first side. The minimum width is less than the maximum width for making the degassing tube tightly connected in the tube connector.