Abstract: Membrane element consisting of carrier disk and membrane cushion for filtering and separating flowing media, especially in devices for filtering and separating fluids by membrane techniques. Aim of the membrane element according to the invention is the essential reduction of the losses of pressure inherent to the modules by eliminating the sharp redirections of the flow by the usual carrier disks and membrane cushions in plate modules. This is achieved by a circular guidance of the flow of the fluid to be separated between carrier disk and membrane cushion. The carrier disk according to the invention is provided with a slit-like passage so that, after a concentric, circular flow over the carrier disk and the corresponding membrane cushion, a guidance of the flow to the next carrier plate level with the correspondingly formed membrane cushion is made possible with minimal loss of pressure and almost without redirections.