Filter device for medical, pharmaceutical or biotechnological purposes

Abstract

Filter device for medical, pharmaceutical or biotechnological purposes, consisting of a housing (1) with an inlet connection (2) and an outlet connection (3), characterized in that different membranes are located in an interior space (4) of the housing (1) and in the direction of flow between the inlet connection (2) and the outlet connection (3), which may be arranged next to each other or inside each other.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a filter device for medical, pharmaceutical or biotechnological purposes according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such filter devices are used to keep medical or pharmaceutical fluids and gases clean for filling purposes in the medical, pharmaceutical, or biotechnological sectors. Separation of either media is undesirable.

[0003] In the medical, pharmaceutical or biotechnological sectors, fluid-gas mixtures produced by a technological process are often filled into containers.

[0004] During the filling process, these mixtures are cleaned and sterilized through a sterile barrier. Particles and bacteria are retained by appropriate filters. The result is primarily a sterile fluid in a container. Simultaneous gas filtration serves to completely empty the fluid path. Flow is achieved by a pump generating a pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the filter device.

[0005] Used lines and filters are disposable items that are disposed of after use.

[0006] However, known filter devices have the disadvantage that they can only filter fluids or only gases and thus can only separate fluids from gases or only gases from fluids.

[0007] The invention is based on the object of developing a filter device for medical, pharmaceutical or biotechnological purposes with which particles and bacteria can be filtered from a fluid-gas mixture and which is simple in construction and more cost-effective in production.

[0008] This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Useful embodiments emerge from subclaims 2 to 8.

[0009] The new filter device for medical, pharmaceutical or biotechnological purposes eliminates the aforementioned disadvantages of the state of the art.

[0010] An advantage of the new filter device for medical, pharmaceutical or biotechnological purposes, consisting of a housing with an inlet connection piece and an outlet connection piece, is that different membranes are located in an interior of the housing and in the flow direction between the inlet connection piece and the outlet connection piece, which membranes can be arranged next to one another or one inside the other.

[0011] This removes particles and bacteria from the fluid-gas mixture to be filtered without having to remove either a fluid or a gas from the interior of the housing and therefore the fluid-gas mixture ratio between the inlet connection nozzle and the outlet connection nozzle does not change.

[0012] In addition, this filter device can be used to sterilely filter fluids and gases simultaneously and alternately.

[0013] It is also advantageous if the new filter device is arranged in a standardized housing, since standardized housings can also be used for filter devices with other filtering tasks, which is why these standardized housings are manufactured in mass production and are therefore more cost-effective than housings manufactured in individual or series production.

[0014] The new filter device for medical, pharmaceutical or biotechnological purposes will be explained in more detail using an example embodiment.

[0015] Show this: Fig. 1: Filter device in a spatial representation, Fig. 2: Filter device in an exploded view and Fig. 3: Filter device in a sectional view.

[0016] The new filter device for medical, pharmaceutical or biotechnological purposes has, according to the Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, a housing 1 with an inlet connection piece 2 arranged on one side and an outlet connection piece 3 arranged on the other side, which open into an interior space 4.

[0017] The housing 1 has an upper housing part 5 and a lower housing part 6, which are connected to each other via a force-locking and form-locking connection 7. The inlet connection 2 is assigned to the upper housing part 5, and the outlet connection 3 is assigned to the lower housing part 6.

[0018] A hydrophilic membrane ring 8 is arranged over the cross section of the interior space 4, wherein the hole of the hydrophilic membrane ring 8 is covered with a circular hydrophobic membrane 9.

[0019] The pores of the hydrophilic membrane ring 8 have a pore diameter that can range from 0.10 µm to 0.22 µm. The pores of the hydrophobic membrane 9 have a pore diameter that can range from 0.02 µm to 0.45 µm.

[0020] In the manufacture of the new filter device for medical purposes, according to the Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, the hole of the hydrophilic membrane ring 8 is welded to the hydrophobic membrane 9. Subsequently, the hydrophilic membrane ring 8 with the welded hydrophobic membrane 9 is welded into the housing bottom 6 or the housing top 5 over the outer edge of the hydrophilic membrane ring 8. Finally, the housing bottom 6 or the housing top 5 are welded to form the new filter device, with the resulting weld seam being the connection 7.

[0021] In handling this new filter device for medical, pharmaceutical or biotechnological purposes according to the Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, a connection piece 2 is screwed into the inlet Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 An inlet hose (not shown) is connected to the pressure side of a medical pump. The outlet connection piece 3 is connected to a Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 not shown, drain hose connected to a collecting container.

[0022] When the pump is in operation, a fluid-gas mixture is supplied via the inlet hose, which enters the interior 4 of the housing 1 via the inlet connection piece 2 and flows through both the hydrophilic membrane ring 8 and the hydrophobic membrane 9.

[0023] The hydrophilic membrane ring 8 filters the fluid to be filtered, and the hydrophobic membrane 9 filters the gas to be filtered. Both membranes bind particles and bacteria contained in the fluid-gas mixture, whereby: - the hydrophilic membrane ring 8 absorbs particles and bacteria from the fluid and is impermeable to the gas and - the hydrophobic membrane 9 absorbs particles and bacteria from the gas and is impermeable to the fluid.

[0024] The fluid-gas mixture, purified of particles and bacteria, flows downstream of the hydrophilic membrane ring 8 and the hydrophobic membrane 9 via the drain connection 3 and the drain hose to the collection container. After use of the medical pump and the collection container, the inlet hose, the filter device, and the drain hose are disposed of as disposable items.

[0025] It is conceivable that the hydrophilic membrane ring 8 and the hydrophobic membrane 9 have a pore size that filters the media sterilely.

[0026] It is conceivable that the hydrophilic membrane ring 8 and the hydrophobic membrane 9 are welded and / or glued together.

[0027] It is conceivable to use the end face of the hole of the hydrophilic membrane ring 8 and the end face that forms over the circumference of the circular hydrophobic membrane 9 and its thickness as contact surfaces between the hydrophilic membrane ring 8 and the hydrophobic membrane 9.

[0028] It is also conceivable that the diameter of the circumference of the circular hydrophobic membrane 9 is slightly larger than the diameter of the hole of the hydrophilic membrane ring 8, so that the contact surfaces are each part of the side surfaces of the hydrophilic membrane ring 8 and the circular hydrophobic membrane 9. It is also conceivable that the hole of the hydrophilic membrane ring 8 is covered on both sides in the flow direction with a hydrophobic membrane 9.

[0029] It is conceivable that the filter device has a hydrophobic membrane ring and the hole of the hydrophobic membrane ring is covered with a hydrophilic membrane.

[0030] It is also conceivable to design the connection piece 2 as a device connector, hose connector, or screw connection. Likewise, the drain connection piece 3 is conceivable to design the device connector, hose connector, or screw connection.

[0031] It is also conceivable that the force-locking and form-locking connection 7 is detachable. List of reference symbols 1 housing 2 inlet connection pieces 3 drain connection pieces 4 Interior 5 Upper housing part 6 Lower housing part 7 Connection 8 hydrophilic membrane ring 9 hydrophobic membrane

Claims

[1] Filter device for medical, pharmaceutical or biotechnological purposes, consisting of a housing (1) with an inlet connection piece (2) and an outlet connection piece (3), characterized by that in an interior space (4) of the housing (1) and in the direction of flow between the inlet connection piece (2) and the outlet connection piece (3) there are different membranes which can be arranged next to one another or one inside the other. [2] Filter device according to claim 1, characterized by that a hydrophilic membrane ring (8) is arranged in the interior (4) of the housing (1) and in the flow direction between the inlet connection piece (2) and the outlet connection piece (3), wherein the hole of the hydrophilic membrane ring (8) is closed with a hydrophobic membrane (9). [3] Filter device according to claim 2, characterized by that the hydrophilic membrane ring (8) and the hydrophobic membrane (9) are welded or glued together. [4] Filter device according to claim 3, characterized by that the contact surfaces between the hydrophilic membrane ring (8) and the hydrophobic membrane (9) are, on the one hand, the end face of the hole of the hydrophilic membrane ring (8) and, on the other hand, the end face which forms over the circumference of the circular hydrophobic membrane (9) and its thickness. [5] Filter device according to claim 3, characterized by that the contact surfaces are each part of the side surfaces of the hydrophilic membrane ring (8) and of the hydrophobic membrane (9), wherein the diameter of the circumferentially circular hydrophobic membrane (9) is slightly larger than the diameter of the hole of the hydrophilic membrane ring (8). [6] Filter device according to claim 5, characterized by that the hole of the hydrophilic membrane ring (8) is covered on both sides with a hydrophobic membrane (9). [7] Filter device according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized bythat the pores of the hydrophilic membrane ring (8) have a pore diameter between 0.10 µm and 0.22 µm and the pores of the hydrophobic membrane (9) have a pore diameter between 0.02 µm and 0.45 µm. [8] Filter device according to claim 7, characterized by that a hydrophobic membrane ring is used instead of the hydrophilic membrane ring (8) and a hydrophilic membrane is used instead of the hydrophobic membrane (9).

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