US 12,303,810 B2
Single pass cross flow filtration module and method
Attila Herczeg, Southborough, MA (US); Bengt G. Persson, Boston, 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 Jul. 11, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/033,126.
Prior Publication US 2020/0016520 A1, Jan. 16, 2020
Int. Cl. B01D 61/14 (2006.01); B01D 29/90 (2006.01); B01D 61/22 (2006.01); B01D 63/02 (2006.01); B01D 63/06 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 29/908 (2013.01) [B01D 61/145 (2013.01); B01D 61/147 (2013.01); B01D 61/22 (2013.01); B01D 63/034 (2022.08); B01D 63/069 (2022.08)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A single pass cross flow filtration system for a viscous liquid comprising biopolymers sensitive to shear rate through controlling a permeate flux, comprising:
a fluid reservoir fluidly connected to a means for urging fluid to a first filtration segment of a filtration module, the filtration module comprising two or more filtration segments fluidly connected in series, each having an upstream side and a downstream side, and each having a retentate channel and a permeate channel;
at least one pump and at least one valve in the retentate channel between respective ones of the two or more filtration segments;
at least one pump mounted in the permeate channel of each of the two or more filtrations segments, and
a fluid line segment for exiting permeate from all permeate channels to a reservoir for deposition, the fluid line segment comprising at least one valve positioned between the entries of permeate channels of two filtration segments,
wherein each filtration segment has a selected length and comprises hollow fiber filter membranes, the hollow fiber filter membranes of each filtration segment having a selected lumen diameter,
wherein at least one selected lumen diameter differs from another selected lumen diameter, and provided that the two or more filtration segments are arranged such that for a given filtration segment having a selected lumen diameter, no filtration segment on the upstream side of the given filtration segment has a selected lumen diameter that is larger,
wherein the at least one pump and the at least one valve in the respective retentate channel are positioned between filtration segments with the differing lumen diameters, thereby regulating the flow of retentate from the segment on the upstream side into the segment on the downstream side, and
wherein the means for urging fluid to the first filtration segment, all pumps mounted in the permeate channel of each of the two or more filtration segments, and the at least one valve in the fluid line segment for exiting permeate are controlled by a processor to control the permeate flux in the permeate channels of the two or more filtration segments.