Filter Assembly and Container for Collecting a Body Fluid Containing the Same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a filter assembly for filtering a body fluid comprising a filter holder and a filter system downstream of the filter holder; wherein the filter system and the filter holder are in contact with each other, wherein the filter system comprises a cuboid frame structure with six rectangular surface areas A1-A6, and wherein five of the six surface areas A1-A5 are covered by a filtering media, and wherein the sixth surface area A6 is in contact with the filter holder.

Claims

1. Filter assembly for filtering a body fluid comprising a filter holder and a filter system downstream of the filter holder; wherein the filter system and the filter holder are in contact with each other, wherein the filter system comprises a cuboid frame structure with six rectangular surface areas A1-A6, and wherein five of the six surface areas A1-A5 are covered by a filtering media, and wherein the sixth surface area A6 is in contact with the filter holder.

2. Filter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the filtering media consists of at least to two materials, wherein the first material is a defoaming material made of a monofilament woven open mesh fabric and the second material is a depth filter material made of a spunbond nonwoven fabric or a polyurethane foam.

3. Filter assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the defoaming material comprises a mesh opening between 100-500 μm.

4. Filter assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the pore size of the depth filter material, particular spunbond depth filter material is in a range of between 20 and 150 μm.

5. Filter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the filtering media consists of at least three materials, wherein the first material is a defoaming material made of a monofilament woven open mesh fabric, the second material is a depth filter material made of a spunbond nonwoven fabric or a polyurethane foam and the third material is a mesh filter layer.

6. Filter assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the mesh filter material has a mesh size in a range of between 20 and 150 μm.

7. Filter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that frame structure of the filter system is made of a thermoplastic material.

8. Filter according to claim 1, characterized in that the sixth rectangular area A6 of the filter system, which is in contact with the filter holder, is covered by plastic with a circular opening.

9. Filter according to claim 1, characterized in that the fifth rectangular area A5 of the filter system, which is opposite to the surface area A6, and the surface area A6 are connected to each other by at least two struts.

10. Filter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the filter holder comprises means for contacting the filter system, in particular a cylindrical projection for contacting the circular opening of the sixth surface area A6 of the filter system.

11. A method of filtering a body fluid in vitro using the filter assembly of claim 1.

12. The method of claim 11, characterized in that the body fluid is blood.

13. Container for collecting a body fluid, comprising a filter assembly according to claim 1.

14. Container according to claim 13, further comprising a container housing with a body fluid inlet though which body fluid can enter an inlet section of the container housing, a body fluid collection section, a vacuum connector for connecting a vacuum source to the container housing for applying a low pressure to the inlet section and the body fluid collection section, and the filter assembly as filter module being arranged between the inlet section and the body fluid collection section.

15. Container for collecting a body fluid according to claim 14, characterized in that the container housing additionally comprises a hydrophobic filter that is arranged between the body fluid collection section and the vacuum connector in flow direction of air drawn by a vacuum source from the body fluid collection section during intended use of the container.

16. The filter assembly according to claim 3, wherein the mesh opening is between 150-400 μm.

17. The filter assembly according to claim 4, wherein the pore size is between 30-140 μm.

18. The filter assembly according to claim 4, wherein the pore size is between 50-120 μm.

19. The filter assembly according to claim 5, wherein the mesh size is between 30-140 μm.

20. The filter assembly according to claim 5, wherein the mesh size is between 40-120 μm.

Description

[0095] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the filter system according to the invention;

[0096] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the filter assembly according to the invention comprising filter system and filter holder;

[0097] FIG. 3 is an explosive view of a blood collecting canister with a filter assembly according to the invention, a container for collecting the filtered body fluid and a lid

[0098] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the arrangement of FIG. 3 in the assembled state.

[0099] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the filter system 10 having a cuboid frame structure 11 with six rectangular surface areas A1-A6. Five of the six surface areas A1-A5 are covered by a filtering media, and the sixth surface area A6 (here the upper side) is covered by plastic material with a circular opening as inlet 16 for the body fluid into the interior of the filter system.

[0100] The fifth rectangular area A5 (bottom side) of the filter system, which is opposite to the surface area A6, and the surface area A6 are connected to each other by at least two struts 12.

[0101] The fifth bottom area A5 is made of a plastic frame and with one or two cross braces. The plastic frame is injected moulded and welded to the frame structure.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 2 the filter system 10 is connected to the filter holder 15. The filter holder 15 is a plastic element obtained by injection molding with a stepped/graduated projection on the lower side facing the filter system: an oval projection from which a small circular projection extends. Said circular projection is in turn in in contact with the surface area A6 of the filter system.

[0103] FIG. 3 shows an explosive view of a blood collecting canister with a filter assembly comprising the cuboid filter system and filter holder 15 according to the invention, a container 13 for collecting the filtered body fluid and a lid or top cover 14.

[0104] Blood enters the canister 13 housing through a blood inlet 16 in the top cover 14. The blood flows through the opening in the filter holder 15 into the interior of the filter system and passes the filter media. The filtered blood is collected in the blood-collecting section It can then be drawn through a blood outlet out of the blood-collecting canister in order to be further processed and/or auto-transfused to the patient.