US 12,220,664 B2
Perfusion filtration system
Attila Herczeg, Southborough, MA (US); and Julie-Anne Burdick, Hudson, MA (US)
Assigned to WaterSep Bioseparations LLC, Marlborough, MA (US)
Filed by WaterSep BioSeparations LLC, Marlborough, MA (US)
Filed on Aug. 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/456,320.
Application 18/456,320 is a continuation of application No. 16/813,656, filed on Mar. 9, 2020, granted, now 11,772,048.
Prior Publication US 2023/0405528 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. B01D 63/00 (2006.01); B01D 63/02 (2006.01); B01D 63/04 (2006.01); B01D 65/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/34 (2006.01); D01F 1/08 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 63/043 (2013.01) [B01D 63/0241 (2022.08); B01D 65/00 (2013.01); C12M 23/26 (2013.01); C12M 29/10 (2013.01); C12M 41/40 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A perfusion filtration module for filtering a feed fluid, comprising:
a. a fiber array comprising a plurality of hollow fiber filter membranes, each having a first end and a second end, wherein the first ends of the hollow fiber filter membranes are potted, thus forming a first potted end, to enable filtrate flow from the hollow fiber filter membranes, and wherein the second ends of the hollow fiber filter membranes are either:
i. potted, thus forming a second potted end, to enable fluid flow from the hollow fiber filter membranes; or alternatively
ii. mounted, thus forming a mounted end, so that the hollow fiber filter membranes are sealed to prevent filtrate flow;
b. a constraint that allows the hollow fiber filter membranes to be held in a splayed configuration, wherein:
i. the first potted end and the second potted end, or alternatively,
the first potted end and the mounted end, comprise first and second surfaces, respectively, from which the fiber filter membranes emerge, and
ii. a housing, and the first potted ends and the second potted ends, or the mounted ends, of the plurality of hollow fiber filter membranes are fixed relative to the housing;
wherein the splayed configuration is a configuration in which the hollow fiber filter membranes spread out from one another as they extend away from the first potted end and the second potted end, or the mounted end, to increase an interstitial distance between adjacent ones of the plurality of hollow fiber filter membranes across a width of the perfusion filtration module between the first potted end and the second potted end, or the mounted end, and
wherein the splayed configuration has a degree of splay and the degree of splay is greater than 1, wherein the degree of splay is the relative amount of splay expressed as a ratio of the maximum lateral dimension of the splayed fiber array to the lateral dimension of the fiber array when stretched in its maximum lineal dimension.