US 11,938,448 B2
Impeller driven hollow fiber membrane separator
Jean Patrick Montoya, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Assigned to MedArray, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Filed by MedArray, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Filed on Oct. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/964,336.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/262,483, filed on Oct. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0114098 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. B01D 63/04 (2006.01); B01D 63/02 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 63/04 (2013.01) [B01D 63/031 (2022.08); B01D 2313/08 (2013.01); B01D 2313/105 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A membrane separator system, comprising:
a reservoir for containing a liquid;
a membrane separator module disposed in the reservoir so as to be submerged in the liquid, the membrane separator module comprising;
a plurality of hollow fibers arranged as an annular shaped bundle having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the annular shaped bundle defining a bore extending between the first end and the second end, wherein each of the plurality of hollow fibers includes a lumen extending between the first end and the second end;
a first manifold attached to the plurality of hollow fibers at the first end of the annular shaped bundle and a second manifold attached to the plurality of hollow fibers at the second end of the annular shaped bundle, the first manifold having a first interior volume that is in fluid communication with the lumens of the plurality of hollow fibers and the second manifold having a second interior volume that is in fluid communication with the lumens of the plurality of hollow fibers, the first manifold and the second manifold each being annular shaped and having an opening, with the opening of the first manifold in communication with the first end of the bore and the opening of the second manifold in communication with the second end of the bore;
a fluid inlet port disposed on the first manifold and in fluid communication with the first interior volume thereof, and a fluid outlet port disposed on the second manifold and in fluid communication with the second interior volume thereof, wherein a fluid path is defined through the inlet port, the first interior volume, the lumens of the plurality of hollow fibers, the second interior volume, and the outlet port;
an impeller at least partially arranged in the bore of the annular shaped bundle and/or in either or both of the openings of the first manifold and the second manifold, the impeller operable to drive fluid flow exterior the plurality of hollow fibers;
a baffle structure disposed in the bore of the annular shaped bundle of hollow fibers; an annulus-shaped distribution passageway defined between a peripheral surface of the baffle structure and an interior side of the plurality of hollow fibers which define the bore, the annulus-shaped distribution passageway having a tapered geometry with a ring thickness that decreases from one of the ends of the annular shaped bundle of hollow fibers to an other of the ends of the annular shaped bundle of hollow fibers such that the tapered geometry encourages uniform radial flow of the liquid from the reservoir through the annular shaped bundle of hollow fibers.