Abstract: A plate-type filter press having a cleaning truck movable in the direction of movement of the slidable filter plates embodies a drive and a pusher adapted to be brought into engagement with the filter plates. The cleaning truck has a releasable brake and the pusher is extensible by the drive in the direction of movement of the filter plates.

Abstract: A process of dewatering sludge in which raw sludge and a flocculating agent are first mixed by suitable means, then fed into a rotary filter drum or similar device to effect thickening of the sludge and partial dewatering thereof. The now thickened sludge is then conveyed through a filtering assembly in which the sludge is subjected to further dewatering forces, which could be vacuum, centrifugal, static pressure, or pressure while moving along the filter surfaces, thereby further dewatering the sludge. The filtrate discharged from the filter drum and the filtering assembly and also wash water used for cleaning the filter surfaces in the filter drum and the filtering assembly are at least partly returned to the filter drum to effect total flocculation and recapture of sludge particles contained in the filtrate and the wash waters.

Abstract: Permeator systems containing selectively permeable membranes suitable for pressure-influenced fluid separations and processes for operating permeator systems for the separation of fluids are disclosed which can provide high turn down ratios of permeate while maintaining substantially constant concentrations of at least one permeating moiety in the permeate. In accordance with the invention, the permeator system comprises a plurality of permeator stages, each of which permeator stages receive a feed stream, and the flow of permeate from at least one permeator stage is initiated and terminated at predetermined rates of permeate fluid flow from the permeator system.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for plasma separation/exchange by double-step-membrane filtration, namely separation of blood into plasma and a corpuscular fraction and separation of high-molecular-weight substances (e.g. gamma-globulin) in the plasma from low-molecular-weight substances (e.g. albumin), and addition of a substitute fluid. A method of treating blood is also provided.The apparatus and method are effective e.g. in the treatment of blood of patients with peripheral circulatory insufficiency due to arteriosclerosis and of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease.

Abstract: The upper ends of filter cloths attached to two adjacent filter plates are connected to a filter medium hanger suspended from suspension arms pivotally mounted on one of the filter plates in the upper regions on opposite sides thereof. Arm rests for supporting the suspension arms are provided on the other filter plate in the upper regions on opposite sides thereof. When the filter plates are moved from their closed state for filtration to their opened state upon completion of filtration, the suspension arms, tilting as supported by the arm rests, are caused to vibrate, thereby accelerating the stripping of the cake which has accumulated on the filter cloths connected to the filter medium hanger.

Abstract: A tractor trailer chassis compactly mounts a waste oil cleaning apparatus of hydraulically connected, primary components. A diesel fuel burner fired heater of vertical cylindrical form mounts at one end of the chassis. A blower feeds a large volume of air under pressure to a cylindrical fire box where a fuel air mixture is ignited and fed tangentially into the base of the central chamber within the heater where the products of combustion follow a helical path within the central heat exchange chamber. Waste oil is fed counterflow along a second helical path through an annular chamber separated by a cylindrical metal heat conductive wall from the chamber bearing the products of combustion. Heated waste oil is fed from the heater to a vibrating table type solids separator or shaker mounted at the opposite end of the trailer chassis from the heater where solids are separated from the heated waste oil.

Abstract: An upwardly opening tank including interconnected opposite side and end walls and a first stationary filter head therein is provided. A second head is mounted in the tank and is shiftable toward and away from the stationary head for clamping a plurality of filter frames between the heads. The stationary head includes inlet and outlet passages for inlet and outlet flow of fluid to be filtered and a downwardly opening cover is provided for the tank including interconnected opposite side and end walls. A lift frame swingably supports the cover from the tank for forward and downward swinging of the cover into closed position and upward and rearward swinging of the cover toward an open position with the cover disposed in a forwardly and downwardly opening attitude.

Abstract: Incompletely condensed aldehyde resin having a large surface area and formed in the presence of large quantities of water under mild conditions is used for removing waste products, such as urea, from the blood in hemodialysis or for removing such impurities from swimming pools or aquariums.

Abstract: A bar screen with a screen cleaner has a vertically movable carriage with a rake pivotally connected thereto by pivot arms. A foldable lever assembly is pivotally connected to the carriage and to the pivot arms and assures a fully extended position and a folded position which correspond to a position of engagement of the rake with the screen and a position of disengagement of the rake with the screen, respectively. A lower stop engages the foldable lever assembly and moves it from a folded position to an intermediate folded position at the end of downward movement of the carriage and before the lever assembly reaches fully extended position so that the rake remains in a position of disengagement with the screen during downward movement of the carriage and is held in this position until the lever assembly is moved to fully extended position in response to upward movement of the carriage.

Abstract: Continuously operating batch system for proportioning concentrate for blood treatment through the use of a proportioning tank and means for filling and emptying the same dependent upon pressure and flow in the mixing tank.

Abstract: An artificial organ embodying this invention is adapted for heat sterilization and allows for simple aftertreatment following said heat sterilization. The artificial organ is previously filled with a solution (8) harmless to the human body. A liquid pressure-buffering tube holding such an amount of gas as is capable of quantitatively absorbing the expansion of said solution (8) occurring during the heat sterilization of the artificial organ is connected to at least one of liquid ports (3), (4), (5), (6) communicating with the interior of the artificial organ. A process embodying the invention for heat sterilizing an artificial organ simplifies aftertreatment of said artificial organ following said heat sterilization, and comprises the steps of vacuum packaging the whole artificial organ device and heat sterilizing the artificial organ device while a gas held in the liquid pressure-buffering tube (2) is kept in the upper part of said artificial organ device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system for causing the circulation or movement of a solution comprising a conduit for the solution, a solution of conical shaped particles and an asymmetric microporous membrane disposed in the conduit so that the solution can only pass the membrane through its pores. The pores of the membrane are tapered with substantially all of the large openings on one side of the membrane and substantially all of the small openings on the other side. The conical shaped solute particles can diffuse in both directions through the tapered holes of the membrane but have dimensions which preclude them turning around, fore to aft, inside the holes of the membrane.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and process for continuously fractionating blood in which blood from a donor is passed along a semipermeable membrane through which passes a fraction to be collected. Turbulent blood flow is maintained to prevent a filter cake from building up on the membrane surface and thereby prevent the blood fraction from passing therethrough. The system includes the blood fractionator, a collection apparatus, a blood pump and appropriate blood clot filters. The rapid blood fraction production rate and the small size of the device facilitates in situ collection of the blood fraction. Fractionation rates upwards of 30 volume percent of blood flow are possible.

Abstract: In apparatus for the reverse osmosis purification of water or other fluid in a module containing a membrane, the water is forced into the module under pressure using two piston-cylinder assemblies mechanically interconnected with the pressurized fluid from the module applied to the rear face of the piston which, from its front face, is driving water into the module, a low pressure continuously operating pump providing a low pressure on the other piston to supply the necessary extra pressure. Valve means automatically reverse the functions of the two cylinders at each end of each stroke.

Abstract: A method for the selective separation of at least one water-soluble useful material from an aqueous solution by reverse osmosis is provided. The method comprises contacting the aqueous solution under pressure maintained above the osmotic pressure of the aqueous solution with a semipermeable composite membrane. The semipermeable composite membrane comprises a microporous substrate and a barrier layer having about 0.01 to about 0.1 micron thickness and composed of a cross-linked polymeric material having isocyanurate structures of Formula (I) formed on the microporous substrate: ##STR1## wherein each of R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a glycidyl group, and an alkyl radical containing from 2 to 5 carbon atoms, an alkyl radical carrying a functional hydroxyl group and an alkyl radical carrying a functional glycidyl group, with the proviso that at least two of R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.

Abstract: A compact self-sterilizable proportioning hemodialysis system alternatively usable with either a coil type or parallel flow artificial dialyzer without material alteration comprises a hydraulic driven dialysate proportioning pump in a positive pressure flow path to provide dialysate in a controlled concentration to a dialysate receiving canister. A coil-type dialyzer within the canister receives dialysate in a recirculating flow from a circulation pump. A venturi in the recirculating flow path provides a negative pressure to pull dialysate through a suction loop, which may alternatively include a parallel flow dialyzer. A conductivity cell, temperature monitor and blood leak detector sample and monitor dialysate from the canister, and to control the dialysate and indicate fault conditions. The system may alternatively function as a recirculating plate-type dialyzer having high dialysis efficiency.

Abstract: A filter press having a plurality of plates adapted to be arranged in abutting relationship in an operating position and to be separated from the operating position for cleansing, replacement or the like, having a pair of first and second reciprocable conveyors arranged respectively along opposing side edges of the plates. Each of said first and second conveyors carry first and second members respectively for engaging the plates selectively during movement of said conveyors, so that when moved in one direction each of the first conveyors and first engaging members act to move the first of said plates from the operating position while each of the second conveyors and second engaging members when moved in an opposite direction act to retain the second of the plates in the operating position.

Abstract: A process for the treating of and/or removal of substances from a liquid, especially whole blood, via a semipermeable microporous membrane (13, 14, 15) through adsorption and/or biological reaction by means of a biologically active material. Said whole blood is exposed to pressure variations at the membrane surface in a way such that a penetrating fraction of said whole blood is flowing in an alternating flow path through the membrane walls for contacting said biologically active material.Said biologically active material is asymmetrically immobilized in and on the surface of the side of said membrane that faces away from said whole blood. Alternatively, said biologically active material may be bound to an unsoluble matrix behind said membrane.Said membrane is for example provided within a casing (7, 8, 9) comprising inlet (10) and outlet (11) for said whole blood.

Abstract: A device for filtering a liquid, particularly molten polymer, removes incompletely molten polymer, foreign matter, aggregates of various additives and the like from the molten polymer prior to further processing of the liquid such as extrusion through a spinneret plate. The device comprises a housing provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet and, positioned between the inlet and the outlet, a filter pack built up of a number of filtering disks and supporting disks. The disks are so arranged the liquid to be filtered is caused to flow between a center portion and an outer surface of the filter pack. On the filter pack there is placed a piston for applying a compressive pressure to the pack. The piston is displaced and acts to compress the filter pack on a liquid supply side under the influence of the pressure of the liquid to be filtered.

Abstract: A non-wicking polyurethane casting system has been developed which comprises the reaction product obtained by admixing a polyol containing N-N-N'-N'-tetrakis (2-hydroxypropyl) ethylene diamine, (hereafter referred to as QUADROL) with an isocyanate terminated polyurethane based prepolymer. This non-wicking casting system is useful as a potting compound in biomedical applications such as dialysis and hemoultrafiltration devices and the like.