A filter screening tool, system, and method allowing high throughput screening of filters (such as hollow fiber filters), such as for use in bioprocessing workflows. Feed material may be fed through different filter modules to assess, measure, analyze, determine, evaluate, teste, compare, screen, etc., properties or characteristics, etc., of filters within the filter modules. Each filter module may house a different type (e.g., material or configuration) of filter so that different filters may be compared and screened, such as for a selected use.

Methods and systems for detecting membrane blockage in a gas detector are disclosed. In some embodiments, the gas detector comprises a membrane configured to define a sensing chamber of the gas detector. The gas detector further comprises a strain sensor operatively connected to the membrane, the strain sensor configured for generating output signals related to strain in the membrane. The gas detector comprises a controller operatively connected to the strain sensor. The controller is configured to: determine a strain in the membrane based on the output signals; and determine a condition of the membrane based on the determined strain, wherein the determined condition indicates whether the membrane is blocked.

Methods of detecting, quantifying and/or characterizing the fouling of a device from a combination of pressure and spectroscopic data are provided. The device can be any device containing components susceptible to fouling. Components can include membranes, pipes, or reactors. Suitable devices include membrane devices, heat exchangers, and chemical or bio-reactors. Membrane devices can include, for example, microfiltration devices, ultrafiltration devices, nanofiltration devices, reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, osmosis, reverse electrodialysis, electro-deionisation or membrane distillation devices. The methods can be applied to any type of membrane, including tubular, spiral, hollow fiber, flat sheet, and capillary membranes. The spectroscopic characterization can include measuring one or more of the absorption, fluorescence, or raman spectroscopic data of one or more foulants. The methods can allow for the early detection and/or characterization of fouling. The characterization can include determining the specific foulant(s) or type of foulant(s) present. The characterization of fouling can allow for the selection of an appropriate de-fouling method and timing.

A control system for monitoring a filter in a subsea control module (SCM) of an underwater hydrocarbon well is presented. The control system includes an upstream pressure transducer disposed upstream of a filter of the SCM and configured to sense an upstream pressure. The control system further includes a downstream pressure transducer disposed downstream of the filter and configured to sense a downstream pressure. Furthermore, the control system includes a subsea electronics module (SEM) coupled to the upstream pressure transducer and the downstream pressure transducer. The SEM is configured to determine average pressure differential values at different instances based on the upstream pressure and the downstream pressure. Moreover, the control system also includes a master control station (MCS) coupled to the SEM and configured to predict a filter maintenance generate an indication of the predicted filter maintenance due time for an operator of the underwater hydrocarbon well.

A system can include a filter assembly with a filter and a substance in the filter assembly, and at least one optical computing device having an integrated computational element which receives electromagnetic radiation from the substance. A method can include receiving electromagnetic radiation from a substance in a filter assembly, the electromagnetic radiation from the substance being received by at least one optical computing device having an integrated computational element, and the receiving being performed while a filter is positioned in the filter assembly. A detector may receive electromagnetic radiation from the integrated computational element and produce an output correlated to a characteristic of the substance. A mitigation technique may be selected, based on the detector output.

To provide a method that reduces clogging of a filter device (filter) during a filtering step prior to addition of milk to a previously formulated lactase solution, and to provide a lactase solution which is not prone to having an occurrence of clogging of the filter device. A lactase solution having a permeation rate of 5 kg/min×m.sup.2 or more at the time of permeation of 366 kg/m.sup.2 through a membrane filter with a pore diameter of 0.22 μm at a concentration for having an activity of 1,000 NLU/g or 2,000 ALU/g, after being subjected to a stirring treatment at 100 rpm, 10° C. for 16 hours with a concentration for having an activity of 5,000 NLU/g or 10,000 ALU/g.

The present disclosure provides a cell separation apparatus for a bioreactor. The cell separation apparatus may be disposed outside the bioreactor and in fluid connection with the bioreactor, the cell separation apparatus may be in a shape of a box body, the cell separation apparatus may include a liquid buffer device including a first liquid cavity disposed in the box body; a filter device including a filter channel and a filter membrane disposed in the box body, the filter membrane may be disposed above the filter channel; and a first liquid channel may be configured in the box body to facilitate a fluid communication between the first liquid cavity and the filter channel. A power system for filtering and microfluidic channels are integrated in the cell separation apparatus that is of a box shape, thereby reducing the volume and production cost thereof.

A membrane wettability system including a power source configured to generate a current; a measuring device configured to measure the current; a first conducting spacer that is electrically connected to one of the measuring device and the power source; and a second conducting spacer that is electrically connected to another one of the measuring device and the power source. The first conducting spacer is physically separated from the second conducting spacer by a membrane, which is not conducting the current.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for evaluating the clogging of a filtration membrane with a protein-containing solution, including the steps of: a) passing a protein-containing solution through a filtration membrane, b) after the step a), obtaining a filtration membrane cross-section from the filtration membrane, c) treating the protein-containing solution before the step a), the filtration membrane before the step b), or the filtration membrane cross-section after the step b) with at least one stain specific to a protein aggregate, and d) confirming the presence of the protein aggregate in the filtration membrane cross-section.

A method including determining a first value associated with a first component of a water filtration system using a first sensor of the water filtration system, determining whether the first component is degraded based on the first value, and in response to determining that the first component is degraded, initiating a shipment of a replacement component.