Abstract: Membrane oxygenators useful in a variety of medical situations, including various short-term procedures and relatively longer-term life support, and components of membrane-based oxygenators, such as conditioning modules for exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide during extracorporeal conditioning of blood, are described. A conditioning module includes a plurality of mats of hollow fibers and a potting material disposed throughout the peripheral edges of the mats to create a circumferential seal that defines a passageway through the plurality of fiber mats having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape. The circumferential seal defines an effective fiber length for each of the hollow fibers. A resisting member is disposed across the proximal ends of at least some of the hollow fibers and is adapted to resist fluid flow into each of the hollow fibers based on the effective fiber length of the particular hollow fiber.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments in desalination by direct contact membrane distillation present a cylindrical cross-flow module containing high-flux composite hydrophobic hollow fiber membranes. The present embodiments are directed to a model that has been developed to describe the observed water production rates of such devices in multiple brine feed introduction configurations. The model describes the observed water vapor production rates for different feed brine temperatures at various feed brine flow rates. The model flux predictions have been explored over a range of hollow fiber lengths to compare the present results with those obtained earlier from rectangular modules which had significantly shorter hollow fibers.

Abstract: A portable hemodialysis system is provided including a dialyzer, a closed loop blood flow path which transports blood from a patient to the dialyzer and back to the patient, and a closed loop dialysate flow path which transports dialysate through the dialyzer. In addition, the hemodialysis system includes two reservoirs which can be alternately placed in the dialysis flow path using various controllable fluid valves. The weight, and therefore the level of dialysate, of each reservoir is measured by a preferred level sensor having a lever arm, a load cell, and a tilt sensor. The load cell and tilt sensor are electrically connected to a processor for sending force and tilt measurements to the processor. The processor may analyze the tilt measurements to correct for any inaccurate measurements of the load cell caused by the tilt.

Abstract: Composite materials for removing hydrophobic components from a fluid include a porous matrix polymer, carbon nanotubes grafted to surfaces of the porous matrix polymer, and polystyrene chains grafted to the carbon nanotubes. Examples of porous matrix polymer include polyurethanes, polyethylenes, and polypropylenes. Membranes of the composite material may be enclosed within a fluid-permeable pouch to form a fluid treatment apparatus, such that by contacting the apparatus with a fluid mixture containing water and a hydrophobic component, the hydrophobic component absorbs selectively into the membrane. The apparatus may be removed from the fluid mixture and reused after the hydrophobic component is expelled from the membrane. The composite material may be prepared by grafting functionalized carbon nanotubes to a porous matrix polymer to form a polymer-nanotube composite, then polymerizing styrene onto the carbon nanotubes of the polymer-nanotube composite.

Abstract: An electrochemical separation device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a cell stack including alternating depleting compartments and concentrating compartments disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, an inlet manifold configured to introduce a fluid to one of the depleting compartments or the concentrating compartments an outlet manifold, and one or more of a fluid flow director disposed within the inlet manifold and having a surface configured to alter a flow path of the fluid introduced into the inlet manifold and direct the fluid into the one of the depleting compartments or the concentrating compartments, and a second fluid flow director disposed within the outlet manifold and having a surface configured to alter a flow path of the fluid introduced into the outlet manifold via one of the depleting compartments or the concentrating compartments.

Abstract: Disclosed is the preparation of composite fluid separation membranes based on poly (aryl ether ketone) (PAEK) polymers with the separation layer formed by a layer-by-layer reticular synthesis. The porous PAEK substrate is semicrystalline, exhibits a mesoporous surface structure, and is surface functionalized. The separation layer formed by the hierarchical layer-by-layer process is in the form of a covalent organic network integrally linked via covalent bonds to the functional groups of the substrate. The composite separation layer may be synthesized in situ in a preformed separation device on the surface of the PAEK substrate. Device configurations include flat sheet, spiral wound, monolith, and hollow fiber configurations with the hollow fiber configuration being preferred. Hollow fibers are formed from PAEK polymers with poly (ether ether ketone) and poly (ether ketone) particularly preferred. Composite PAEK membranes of the present invention are useful for a broad range of fluid separation applications.

Abstract: A virus removal membrane includes cellulose, and a primary-side surface through which the protein-containing solution is to be applied and a secondary-side surface from which a permeate that has permeated the virus removal membrane is to be flowed, wherein a bubble point is 0.5 MPa or more and 1.0 MPa or less; and when a solution containing gold colloids having a diameter of 30 nm is applied through the primary-side surface to the virus removal membrane to allow the virus removal membrane to capture the gold colloids for measurement of brightness in a cross section of the virus removal membrane, a value obtained by dividing a standard deviation of a value of an area of a spectrum of variation in the brightness by an average of the value of the area of the spectrum of variation in the brightness is 0.01 or more and 0.30 or less.

Abstract: A raw water channel spacer capable of suppressing formation of a concentration polarization layer in a region in the vicinity of a separation membrane in a raw water channel, and a spiral wound membrane element including the same are provided. A raw water channel spacer is formed by superposing a first yarn row and a second yarn row, and includes alternately a first mesh structure having a configuration in which first rectangular meshes formed of the yarn rows are continuous in an extending direction of the second yarn row, and a second mesh structure having a configuration in which meshes are continuous in the extending direction of the second yarn row such that an interval in the second yarn row is smaller than an interval of the second yarn row forming the first mesh structure.

Abstract: The disclosed technology includes a membrane-based device configured to concentrate black liquor, which results from papermaking. Certain embodiments may comprise a nanofiltration membrane configured to remove lignin from black liquor, and the nanofiltration membrane may include a first macroporous polymer substrate and a first graphene oxide membrane covering the first macroporous polymer substrate. Some embodiments may comprise a reverse osmosis membrane, which may include a second macroporous polymer substrate and a second graphene oxide membrane covering the second macroporous polymer substrate.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrodialysis stack that may be used for the treatment of an electrically conductive solution. The stack includes two electrodes (at least one is a recessed electrode), a plurality of ion-transport membranes and stack spacers. The membranes and spacers are arranged between the electrodes to define electrodialysis cell pairs. The stack includes an electrically insulated zone that extends substantially from a distribution manifold past the recessed edge of the electrode and substantially from the recessed electrode to the opposite electrode for a distance that is about 8% to 100% of the total distance between the electrodes. The overlap distance that the electrically insulated zone extends past the recessed edge of the electrode is calculated as: distance in cm=(0.062 cm?1)*(exp(?60/total cp)*(area in cm2 of the manifold ducts of the concentrated stream at the recessed edge) +/?10%.

Abstract: Charge mosaic membranes useful for desalination applications, and methods of making and using the same, are described.

Abstract: A method for forming an isoporous graded film comprising multiblock copolymers and isoporous graded films. The films have a surface layer and a bulk layer. The surface layer can have at least 1×1014 pores/m2 and a pore size distribution (dmax/dmin)) of less than 3. The bulk layer has an asymmetric structure. The films can be used in filtration applications.

Abstract: Described are filter materials including a polyol ligand, such as n-methylglucamine, and/or a polyphosphonic acid ligand, which are highly effective for filtering metals or metal ions from fluids. The filter materials can be particularly useful to filter basic and acidic fluid compositions, such as those used for wet etching, removing photoresist, and cleaning steps in microelectronic device manufacturing.

Abstract: A reverse osmosis system includes a wheel formed of a hollow central hub, radial tubes fluidly connected to the central hub, semi-permeable membranes provided in each radial tube, a permeate outlet tube, and a concentrate outlet tube; a permeate collection tank; a concentrate collection tank; and a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism rotationally drives the wheel while the source liquid is supplied to the central hub of the wheel, the rotation causing the source liquid to enter the radial tubes in radially outward directions and cause pressure increase on the source liquid in the radial tubes. The pressure increase forces the source liquid through the semi-permeable membranes to separate into permeate and concentrate, the permeate being directed to the permeate collection tank through the permeate outlet tube and the concentrate being directed to the concentrate collection tank through the concentrate outlet tube.

Abstract: A reverse osmosis membrane of the present invention includes a porous support substrate (2) and a separation active layer (3) formed on a surface of the porous support substrate (2) and formed of a carbon film containing organized carbon.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate generally to systems, apparatus, and methods for using graphene oxide-containing membranes for separation and concentration processes. In some embodiments, a fluid component having a first concentration in a fluid mixture can be concentrated using a first distillation process to a second concentration. In some embodiments, the fluid component can be concentrated from the second concentration to a third concentration using a graphene oxide-containing membrane. In some embodiments, the fluid component can be concentrated from the third concentration to a fourth concentration using a second distillation process. In some embodiments, the fluid component can have an azeotropic concentration between the second concentration and the third concentration.

Abstract: A treatment system for performing a treatment on a patient may include a treatment fluid preparation device having a pump connected by a fluid channel to a reservoir of a source fluid, the pump conveying the source fluid from the reservoir, through a filter, and combining the source fluid with a concentrate by pumping the source fluid with the concentrate to form a treatment fluid in a batch container. The treatment fluid preparation device may have a controller that controls a heater, the pump, and a memory. The controller starts the heater to warm the treatment fluid in the batch container at a time that is responsive to the treatment time stored in the memory. The controller also detects a pressure property of the filter to determine its integrity and outputs an indication of a failed batch if the pressure property indicates the integrity of the filter is insufficient.

Abstract: A connector arrangement (10) for connecting to a fluid chamber (6) of a blood treatment unit (4) for extracorporeal blood treatments. The connector arrangement (10) includes a connector device (11) with a connector body (47) comprising a port opening (43) and an interior wall (50) defining a port space (39) designed to receive a first fluid port (8A) of the fluid chamber (6). The connector device (11) also incorporates a fluid path (35a) extending from the port space (39) to a first end opening (51) of the connector device (11), and an air path (36a) extending from the port space (39) to a second end opening (52) of the connector device (11), wherein the fluid path (35a) and the air path (36a) are separate paths. Also a system (1) for extracorporeal blood treatment including the connector arrangement (10) and a method for priming the fluid chamber (6).

Abstract: A dialysate solution container includes a flexible first bag body. The dialysate solution container further includes a second bag body which has a mixing region for mixing a first powdered pharmaceutical agent and water at a lower end portion of a second interior. The second bag body further has a communication pipe that places the exterior of the second bag body and the second interior in communication, and a first filter which is in communication with a first interior of the first bag body. A first end of the communication pipe is capable of being connected to a dialysis circuit, and a second end thereof is disposed within the mixing region.

Abstract: Porous membranes are provided according to the invention having desirable coefficient of thermal expansion and large surface area, for example at least about 4,000 mm2. These porous membranes may be made according to an exemplary process employing lithographic patterning of a photoresist followed by development of the photoresist and etching. In one aspect, the etch barrier layer is chosen from a material that does not react with or incorporate metal or other contaminants into the membrane layer.